


Be mine tonight (and stay forever)

by queststar



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pretty Woman Fusion, Endgame Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff and Smut, Idiots in Love, Lesbian Sex, Pretty Woman References, Slow Burn, Swan Queen - Freeform, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:47:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 74,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28616808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queststar/pseuds/queststar
Summary: When Regina gets lost in Los Angeles with a car she can hardly drive, there's a hooker who offers her help - but it's not going to be free.Or: Pretty Woman, Swan Queen style.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 255
Kudos: 488





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, here we go! Pretty Woman is one of the best rom-com movies ever and it works so well for our favorite ladies! This one is going to follow the original script, but with some alterations, and here's hoping I'm doing it some justice. 
> 
> I'm aiming to update at least once a week :)

“Shit, shit, shit!”   
  
Regina Mills never cursed. 

“Fuck!”   
  
She was too eloquent for that.

“Goddamn it!”

She usually used sharp retorts and sniding sarcasm to smash her opponents. It had most of them retreat like cowering weasels.

“You worthless piece of scrap metal!”

And she never was one for physical abuse.

But today simply wasn’t her day, she seethed, banging her fists on the steering wheel of her attorney’s overpriced excuse for a car.

Who the fuck drove a transmission anyway these days?! “Un-fucking-believable,” she growled, trying to force the clutch into the first gear on sheer willpower.  She glared at someone passing the car, scaring them away with just a look. 

How the hell had she ended up here? 

No wait - she knew perfectly well how she had ended up here. 

It had all started with her now ex-girlfriend, who she had called to join her in Los Angeles while she brokered a business deal. There was always stress in this final part of a deal, and Kathryn could help her let go of all that, but the woman had flat-out refused. “I’m not someone who’s on your beck and call list, Regina,” Kathryn had said irritably. “First I hear nothing for days and I spend more time on the phone with your personal assistant than with you and when you need me, you want to summon me? I have a life too, you know.”

“A life of what? Attending those when I’m not there? Drinking yourself in a comatic stupor with your so-called friends?” Regina had snapped back. It wasn’t a lie. Kathryn had a wide circle of people she called friends. Even when they were together at home, she’d spent half the night entertaining her friends by texts - okay, Regina had to admit, she usually had a few work calls to make, as well, but that was different. 

“You’re such an asshole. You really do live up to your name, don’t you?” Kathryn had spat.   
  
“Enlighten me, dear. I’ve been called many names.”

“Of all of them, the Evil Queen rings true the most.”

Yes. She was well aware of her nickname - her mother had been the one to coin it after she had taken over Cora Mills company, had split it up, and had sold off the pieces. The name had stuck, and it had been of use in many negotiations, because if she was willing to end her own mother’s company, what else was she capable of? It had instantly established her reputation, one that she still fed willingly. 

“Your point?”   
  
“I’m breaking up with you. You can’t just… not commit yourself and expect someone else to do so. Maybe if you want to have someone to respond to your every whim, you should hire someone to do it. It’s not going to be me. And with your reputation, you should probably be prepared to pay a shitload of money if you want someone to tolerate you. Goodbye, Regina.”

And then, she’d hung up on her. The fucking audacity. Bristling with anger, Regina had left the room. After that, she just hadn’t been able to focus on any kind of moronic small talk that these kinds of events required. She’d informed Victor Whale, her attorney, with whom she’d worked for the last ten years, that she was going to leave.

He had protested, but she’d made up her mind and had headed to the valet parking, where she had found her limousine parked all the way at the back. Because of course, this day could get even worse. Victor had come after her, but by then, she’d already commandeered the keys to his obnoxious ‘classic’ car because Regina Mills always got what she wanted - well, almost always, anyway - had assured him she knew how to drive stick - the truth was she hardly knew what she was doing -, and with a lot of luck, shed sped off to god knows where. She just needed to get away and release her anger somewhere. And that place was not going to be a business get-together with potential investors and other business partners.

Ten minutes later, the battery of her phone had died. 

And she had driven through the streets of Los Angeles with an unfamiliar car, in an unfamiliar city without knowing where to go, frustration about her personal life and the fucking car that she had stepped on the brakes and stomped on the clutch pedal. The angrier she got, the less she was able to drive the piece of junk. 

There was some movement near her and she rolled down the window.

“Excuse me,” she barked out of the car. “Can you tell me how to get to Beverly Hills?”

The man, clearly homeless, was rummaging through the garbage before he looked up and smiled his yellow teeth bare, unimpressed by her tone. “You’re here,” he called out, waving at the half-demolished building behind him, snickering. “That’s Sylvester Stallone’s house!”

She rolled her eyes and waved her hand in a dismissing gesture as he barked out a laugh, as she tried to drive off. His laugh followed her as she hit the brakes instead of the gas. Fucking stick gear. 

Her mind traveled back to the conversation with Kathryn. She hadn’t wanted to show how the woman had hurt her feelings so she responded in her usual way - sarcastic and icy. True, she had known from the start that Kathryn wouldn’t be the one that she would spend the rest of her life with. But they had had a genuinely nice time and for Regina, it had been enough.

It was also true that Regina never completely committed to any kind of relationship. She simply couldn’t. Her youth and upbringing had taught her never to give herself completely to everyone. Love was weakness, her mother had often told her, and even though she’d shed most of her mother’s sayings and educational hazards, this one had stuck, especially because Cora Mills had shown her that even motherly love always came with additional conditions. It had latched onto her very core, never far from her mind whenever she entered a relationship. In both her marriage and several short-lived relationships after, she had always felt that there was an underlying reason for her partners to stay with her - money being the most blatant, and the constant demand of attention sometimes the more annoying one. So basically even if she would’ve wanted to commit completely, she wouldn’t know  _ how _ . And yes, they hadn’t seen each other much lately because of her business deal which was on the verge of closing, but it wasn’t if Kathryn hadn’t been busy herself. 

Kathryn’s timing was terrible, too and maybe that was what upset her the most. The deal she was brokering would close this very week, the company’s CEO was hanging on by a thread, and it would be a stressful couple of days in this dreadful city - she could’ve used someone by her side to alleviate the tension, which is why she had called her in the first place. But apparently, even Regina Mills didn’t always get what she want, she bitterly snorted.

She shook her head as the car jumped forward, instinctively hitting the brakes to prevent it from bucking up against the curb.

After three more of those hiccups, she pulled over again, frustration raging through her body. There were more people on the street here compared to where she had been moments before, but the people outside weren’t exactly her standard crowd to hang out with. She saw women parading around in pieces of clothing that barely covered the more sensitive parts of their body. Hookers. And their clientele wasn’t much better, if not worse. But goddamn it, she needed directions. And a fucking manual for this fucking car. Her lip curled up in disgust, sneering at the dashboard. 

“Hey, sugar, you looking for a date?”

A voice made her snap up her head - she hadn’t seen this one coming towards the open window of the passenger side - she’d forgotten to close it after leaving the homeless guy to his trash can. A cleavage had appeared in front of the passenger window, slim wrists casually leaning on the door. Lifting her gaze, Regina saw an oval face leaning in, thin, red-painted lips, bright green eyes, and a waterfall of messy blonde curls. The woman wore eyeliner, which made the green of her eyes stand out even more. Startled because of the woman’s sudden closeness, she pressed the button to lock the car - classic or not, at least it had some basic safety options.

“Oh, shit! You’re a woman,” the hooker - because even though she didn’t quite fit the description of a hooker in Regina’s mind, the clothes and the pick-up line had told her enough - exclaimed in surprise.

“What a wonderfully sharp observation,” Regina snapped. 

“Well, excuse me,” the woman said unfazed, not offended at all - in fact, she sounded slightly amused, the surprise gone from her eyes already. “But these kinds of classic cars are usually driven by middle-aged men with too much ego, a midlife crisis, and a short attention span. Not by breathtakingly beautiful women in skirt suits.” The blonde winked before her gaze appreciatively raked over Regina’s figure. Her intense gaze made Regina shift in her seat a little. “Leaves the question,  _ are _ you looking for a date? Because if you are, I can give you a really nice time.” The hooker smiled lazily, eyes hooded.

Aghast, Regina’s hand flew to her neatly coiffed hair while she narrowed her brown eyes. The words of the woman had startled her and had, horrifying as it might be, slightly turned her on, as well - her heart had started to pick up its pace and she felt how a blush crept up from her neck. She suppressed her feelings relentlessly and suddenly appreciated the dark shadows in the car. She was Regina Mills, CEO of Mills Enterprises, sophisticated, eloquent, the fucking  _ Evil Queen.  _ She didn’t get flustered and had every inch of herself completely under control.

Most of the time. 

She narrowed her eyes, her voice icy and dismissive. “ _ No _ . I just want to go to Beverly Hills. Can you give me directions?”

“What? Did you forget your phone? You don’t have Google Maps?” The hooker snorted in disbelief, fingers curling around the door while stretching her arms, causing her to lean back a little bit. Then, she bent over a little. Regina’s gaze dropped from the woman’s face to her cleavage and back up to her green eyes. The woman’s mouth curved into a knowing, lopsided grin. She had noticed. And now saw how Regina unconsciously wetted her lips. Knew that Regina wasn’t completely untouched.

“Dead battery,” Regina clarified, chin raised, narrowing her eyes as a warning. “So can you give me directions or not?”

“Sure,” the woman smiled widely, showing a straight set of white teeth, “For five bucks.”

Regina scoffed in disbelief. “That’s ridiculous,” she huffed indignantly.

The woman’s grin grew wider and her green eyes sparkled in amusement. “Price just went up to ten,” she challenged her. 

Regina frowned and saw how the woman raised her eyebrows. She was  _ mocking  _ her. And Regina should be seething with rage, but, she realized, shocked, that she wasn’t. In fact, she was surprised by the challenge. People hardly ever talked back to her - there were only a few she allowed to, and they were carefully selected. Her reputation preceded her, most of the time, and after every hostile takeover, more wild rumors had started to fly. She instilled respect - no, blatant fear. Given, much of it was appearance and reputation - it had only taken the dismantling of two strategic companies, one of which her mother’s, to grant her that reputation - but she used it to her advantage. The business world was hard and cruel, and she was the worst, according to many.

But this street worker, with no idea who she was, dared her with a raised eyebrow. That simple fact drew her interest. The woman couldn’t care less about who Regina was - she just cared about her money. 

Ten dollars, to be precise. For fucking direction. Regina’s brow furrowed. “You can’t charge me for directions,” she told her.

“I can do anything I want, baby. I ain’t lost,” the hooker drawled, pushed herself up, turned, and leaned with her…  _ behind  _ against the car. Waited for Regina to make a decision. Regina's eyes flicked over the exposed skin - the white top the girl was wearing was tight and cropped and revealed a slim, fair-skinned lower back. Regina felt something twitch in her stomach. Irritation, most probably.

Again, she wasn’t going to get what she wanted. Simple and honest directions without being ripped off.

Damn it.

“All right,  _ fine,”  _ Regina sighed, resigned, with a roll of her eyes that almost caused an earthquake. “You win, I lose. Do you have change for a 20?” She reached for her purse and fished out a note, holding it between her fingers.

The hooker smiled and turned quickly, leaned in, and stretched her arm to snatch the note from Regina’s hand. “For 20, I’ll show you personally,” she grinned brazenly.” Let me in and I’ll even show you where the stars live.”

Regina snorted. “Well, I’ve already been to Stallone’s,” she grumbled under her breath. With expectant eyes, the blonde waited for Regina to make up her mind. And then, with an annoyed huff, Regina unlocked the car. The woman got in and swiftly buckled up, pushing the bill in one of her high cowboy boots. Regina’s eyes fell on a safety pin, holding the boot together, and she rolled her eyes. 

“Right. Down the street.” 

Regina struggled with the gear shift and shook her head lightly. But Regina stomped on the clutch pedal, managed to get it to work, and with a hiccup, the car sped off. 

“This is a hot car,” The blonde said after a few seconds, admiring the features, the smell of old leather, and the shining dashboard.

“It’s a little... temperamental,” Regina told her through gritted teeth. Admitting failure was not one of her strong suits. 

“Yours?”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Stolen?” The hooker flashed her a grin.

“Not exactly.” There was a small pause. “What’s your name?”

The woman turned her head, a lopsided smirk around her mouth, eyes flashing as she quickly let her gaze travel over Regina’s facial features. “What do you want it to be?” 

Regina narrowed her eyes and looked briefly at the woman with a warning in her eyes. The woman picked it up, sighed and rolled her eyes. “Emma. My name is Emma.”

“Em-ma,” Regina repeated slowly as if she tried the taste of the name in her mouth. It made Emma shift a little in her seat. Regina felt a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth. The woman felt a little uneasy. Maybe it was petty, but it felt like a little victory. Petty payback.

“So, uh, what hotel are you staying at?” Emma asked her.

“The Lucas Beverly Regent.”   
  
“Down the block, right at the corner,” Emma promptly said, not responding to the name of one of the best hotels in town. “Turn right here.”

Regina tried to shift gears and the car made a strange, squeaky sound, stuttered, and started up again. Emma shook her head disapprovingly. “You never drove a gear shift car before?”

The brunette sighed impatiently. She felt her jaw tense. “My first car was a limousine,” she confessed. “Came with a driver. I’ve never driven something quite so old as this one.”   
  
“Old?” Emma protested with wide eyes, “She’s a classic!” She patted the dashboard lovingly.

Again, Regina’s eyes briefly flicked towards Emma before focussing on the road again as the car stuttered before she pushed the gas pedal in a little more. She wouldn’t have been surprised if Emma had started to talk to the fucking vehicle.

“How do you know about cars?” she huffed instead. Emma shrugged halfheartedly. 

“Boys back home I grew up with were into heavy metal like these. They bought them cheap, fixed them up. I paid attention.” 

“I see.” She tried to put the car in the next gear, which made an awful grinding sound. “So where’s this... heavy metal home?”

“Not a home per se. More like a place to briefly stay. Boston, the not so pretty side. Okay, let me help you before the transmission falls out from under your car.” Impulsively, she covered Regina's hand on the gear shift with her own. Regina inhaled sharply, when she felt the hand slide over hers, fingers curling, and the touch sent tiny sparks of electricity through her hand, up to her arm. Her fingers trembled, and she wanted to pull back, but Emma only tightened her grip. “Trust me. Press the left pedal first.” And when Regina did automatically, Emma easily guided Regina’s hand and shifted the clutch into the next gear. “See? Piece of cake.” She quickly let go of her hand. “Now you do it,” she told Regina as if she was talking to a child. Regina scoffed in disbelief, her hand still tingling.

But when she did, at least the car didn’t protest as much as it used to, and Emma hummed in approval. “Don’t do it simultaneously. First the pedal, then the clutch. I’m actually surprised you made it this far.”

Regina wanted to retort but found herself unable to come up with a sharp response. And before she could think of anything, Emma pushed her arm under her nose. “Hey, fun fact, did you know that your foot is as big as your arm from your elbow to your wrist?” Regina’s mind needed a second to process the sudden change of subject. She couldn’t help her eyes flicking over the fair skin, and when the soft smell of soap tickled her nose, she licked her lips.   
  
“No, I didn’t,” she said slowly, narrowing her eyes at her body’s primal response. There probably was an explanation for the fact that her insides started to twist upon touching or  _ smelling  _ the woman next to her. It irritated the shit out of her, not having her reactions under control - especially with a woman next to her who was an expert in reading them.

  
“It’s a little bit of trivia. Included in the price.” They stopped for a traffic light, and Regina turned her head, curiously gazing at the blonde. She tilted her head a little, not knowing what to think of her. Her eyes flicked over her slim figure, clothed in a white cropped tank top, very tight and short hot pants - they had the width of a large belt, Regina thought with a scoff, and her high cowboy boots held together with a safety pin. When she looked up, she thought she saw a guarded look in the blonde’s eyes but maybe she had imagined it because it was gone within the blink of an eye. Emma smiled instead and if their encounter hadn’t been strange enough as it was, she felt her lips curling up the slightest in response. 

Regina had been prejudiced against people like Emma, she was not afraid to admit it. And she still thought that many of her prejudices against street workers would hold up. But Emma had... surprised her. Not many people did these days. Emma was different. For once, she was clean, smelled nice, and- well. She was pretty. All things she wouldn’t have considered being part of a street hooker’s description. The blonde also had a working brain - witty and smart. And she was bold and self-confident, features Regina really liked. Regina found herself intrigued.

“You want another trivia, that you'll never forget for the rest of your life? Did you know there’s a little village called Hell in Norway? Which is funny because it freezes over in winter.” Emma grinned her teeth bare. “I don’t know about you, but I think that’s super funny.”   
  
“So you’re like, what? The queen of pointless trivia?” she all but sneered. And yet, a smile tugged on Regina’s lips. 

“They’re a great way to break the ice,” Emma said with a shrug, looking out of the window. “I know tons more.” Regina eyed her pensively. She hadn’t thought it possible, but the woman both irritated and amused her. And it was… liberating, too. For a moment, she didn’t have to be Regina Mills, the cold-hearted Evil Queen, relentless in expanding her empire. Emma treated her like she was just a woman in need of directions - which, in the end, she was, of course. 

“Um,” Emma started a little unsure, eyes flashing back to Regina.   
  
“What?”   
  
“It’s green?”

Scoffing, Regina’s head yanked back to the traffic light and she pulled up. She felt how her cheek turned a darker shade and was grateful for the darkness inside the car. From the corner of her eyes, she saw how Emma cringed at the grinding sound the transmission made as she shifted gears.

“You often have to break the ice?” Regina asked. The question had left her mouth before she knew and she didn’t know if she wanted to hear the answer.

“Depends,” Emma shrugged. Suddenly, she sounded guarded and a little defensive. “Not with my regulars.” She folded her arms in front of her chest.

Regulars, Regina thought with a scoff. Of course, she’d have regulars. She was probably the prettiest prostitute from the block. And it was odd how that wasn’t a comforting thought at all. Her brow furrowed. 

“So,” Regina slowly asked next, “What kind of money do you girls make these days?”

Emma immediately sat up a little straighter. “I can’t take less than 100 dollars,” she said primly, an alert glance in her eyes. “Men or women.”

“For the night?”   
  
“For an hour.”

There was a short silence. “An  _ hour?”  _ Regina turned her head, eyed her in disbelief. “You make 100 dollars an hour and you have a safety pin holding your boot up?” She waved at the pin. “You have got to be joking.”   
  
Emma eyed her seriously. Suddenly, the casual jokes and smooth talk was gone. “I never joke about money,” she replied firmly. Regina briefly looked at her and noticed the amused spark had left Emma’s gaze. She wanted it back. That was a strange sensation, all by itself.

“Neither do I,” the brunette huffed dignified. She must have some clientele then, Regina figured, if everyone paid her that much. Or, not much clientele at all, regarding the worn-down boots. Or maybe she was picky? There were so many questions, all inappropriate for just some casual small talk - something Regina hated with a passion anyway.

But before she could think of something else, the hotel came in sight and she sighed deeply in relief. When she entered the parking area and stopped the car, a bellboy quickly went to open her door. “Good evening, Miss Mills,” he said politely, “Will you be needing the car more tonight?”

“I definitely hope not,” Regina groaned, handing the keys over in relief. Emma had gotten out as well, and slipped on a hideous red leather jacket.

“So, we’re here,” she said. Regina looked at her, offering her a small smile.

“Yes,” she replied. She didn’t really know what else to say, other than, “Are you going to be alright?” 

Emma smiled back, and it made Regina’s stomach twitch. “Yeah. I’m going to grab a cab with my 20 bucks.” She jerked a thumb to the sidewalk, eyes shining again. Regina felt something flutter in her belly. It wasn’t irritation, now. It was something else that she hadn’t felt in a long while - not even with Kathryn. She didn’t even know what to call it, other than... physical attraction maybe.

“Back to the office.” Regina raised a mocking eyebrow.

Emma snorted out a laugh. “Yeah, yeah. My office. Good one.” She quickly pulled her face straight again.

“Well… Thank you for getting me here.” Regina tilted her head, the corner of her mouth pulled up in the tiniest of smiles, and she folded her hands together, reluctant to say goodbye.

Emma nodded quickly. “Yeah… well… You’re welcome. I’ll, uh, see you around,” she then said with a nod, and awkwardly waved, before turning around. 

Regina followed her with her eyes, while she folded her arms in front of her chest. Emma didn’t look back anymore and sat down on a bench, in front of the hotel. She looked completely out of place, with her high boots, sorry excuse for clothes, and her wild curls. The hotel wasn’t more than a few miles away from where they had first met, but the change of environment was immense. 

She couldn’t get herself to turn and go inside. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on the blonde, who was digging out the twenty bill from her boot. Because despite all her irritations, there had been... something. The past twenty minutes in her car had been the most…  _ fun _ twenty minutes she’d had in days. Weeks. Months even. Emma hadn’t been looking at her as if she could explode any second. She hadn’t eyed her warily. Knew nothing about her reputation. She had been confident and talkative from the start. And she hadn’t been impressed with her tone of voice or any of her remarks. It was... refreshing.

She wanted… No, she didn’t really know what she wanted. Only that she didn’t want this to end just yet. She wanted to enjoy the company a little more. A little longer. And before she realized what she was doing, her feet had brought her closer to the blonde on the bench.

“No luck finding a taxi?” she asked.

Emma looked up with wide eyes, clearly startled, and Regina noticed how she swallowed. “No. I might take the bus, instead,” she retorted, recovering quickly. 

The brunette chuckled, tilted her head, and narrowed her eyes a little. “I was thinking… Did you really say a hundred dollars per hour?” She could hardly believe she was going to do this.

“Yeah.” Emma raised her chin, tilting her head a little, eyes shimmering defiantly. 

There was a short pause before Regina made her final decision. “Well, if you don’t have any prior engagements, I’d be very pleased if you’d accompany me into the hotel,” she then said. She couldn’t believe she’d just hired a prostitute to join her and yet, that’s exactly what she had done. For a moment, she wanted to retract her words, but the way Emma’s face lit up in surprise made her stomach flip - and it left her even more startled. Regina’s stomach never flipped. Ever.

Emma smiled widely. “You got it,” she said, turning around, jumping off the bench. “What’s your name, anyway?”   
  
“Regina,” she answered, taking a small step back at the sudden enthusiasm. 

“Regina? That’s my favorite name in the whole world,” Emma retorted happily, eyes amused, and it drew a scoff from Regina, which made Emma chuckle. “I tell you what, this is fate, Regina. That’s what this is.”

“Fate doesn’t exist,” Regina countered, but Emma just bumped her shoulder against Regina’s in reply. The brunette snorted, eyes flicking over Emma’s appearance, and then she stopped walking. Turning her head, she shrugged off her trench coat. She gave it to Emma. 

“What’s this?” Emma’s smile turned into a frown.

“Please put this on,” Regina said, leaving no room for discussion. But of course, Emma tried.

“Why?”

“Well, this hotel is not the kind of establishment that rents rooms by the hour,” Regina explained, eyes traveling quickly over the toned, bare belly and the cropped white tank top, sliding down to her hotpants and high up cowboy boots. 

“Oh.” Emma grimaced before she quickly pulled the coat on and closed it with her hands, holding the lapels together. Then, Regina placed a hand on Emma’s lower back, gently guiding her inside, still wondering what the hell she was doing. 

She was paying a hooker to spend time with her. That was what she was doing. But the why was still somewhat of a mystery to her.

Emma’s attitude changed immediately when she entered the hotel. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open, her confidence all but gone, the remnants wavering. “Wow,” she said, severely taken aback by the insides of the lobby that showed off how wealthy the people staying here actually had to be. Impressed, her green eyes slid over the ceiling, chandeliers, walls, furniture, front desk. She swallowed thickly, Regina noticed, and she lightly shook her head, started to fidget with her hands, until Regina touched her arm.

“It’s all right,” Regina said softly, not wanting to draw too much attention, but Emma shook her head again, which resulted in her golden curls falling over her shoulder and her coat opening up. She drew some stares, Regina noticed, but Emma was far too busy with being overwhelmed to notice.

“Holy shit,” the blonde murmured nervously. 

“You’re going to be fine, dear,” Regina smiled, now feeling she had the upper hand for probably the first time they’d met. “Come with me. And stop fidgeting,” she added as she saw Emma’s fingers twist nervously. She moved along to the front desk, picked up her messages, and asked for strawberries and champagne to be sent upstairs, feeling a hint of nervousness herself. Which was ridiculous, of course. Regina Mills was never nervous. Regina Mills was the Evil Queen of hostile takeovers, lonely at the top and feared by many. She had nerves of steel.

She turned to see how Emma leaned against one of the roman pillars, the trench coat open, as she continued to gaze around, severely impressed. A couple of other hotel guests were now openly staring at the barely dressed young woman, but Emma hardly seemed to notice, too busy taking in the obscene wealth that this place oozed.

Tentatively, she placed a gentle hand at Emma’s waist - the coat being the only barrier between her hand and Emma’s skin - which snapped Emma out of it and Regina guided her to the elevators. The touch seemed to anchor Emma somewhat, Regina noticed, because her posture became a little more confident as the bell announced the arrival of the elevator. 

Or maybe it had just been a mask, because when the doors slid open, Emma nearly dashed inside - perhaps fleeing the lobby, but not really subtly. “Well, color me happy, there’s a sofa in here for two!” she exclaimed. She fell down on it, put up one of her legs, placed it firmly on the sofa, and eyed Regina challengingly. The brazenness made Regina a little tense - after all, she was still Regina Mills and had some status to uphold, especially in a surrounding like this -, but she didn’t say anything as she nodded to the elevator operator before she followed Emma inside. 

Emma apparently sensed her change of mood, and got up quickly, brushing off some invisible specs of dust from the coat. “Sorry,” she muttered, “Couldn’t help it.”

“Try,” Regina replied, a little terse. They made the way up in silence. 

“Penthouse,” the elevator boy announced, as the elevator pinged, and it widened Emma’s eyes once more.

“Penthouse, huh? Nicely done,” she smiled with a wink and she exited the elevator, putting a little more sway and swivel into her hips. Regina noticed how the operator’s eyes were drawn to Emma, how he arched his neck to follow her with his eyes and she gave him a long glare until he noticed. The boy scraped his throat as his cheeks flushed, quickly closed the elevator door, and was gone.

She stepped past Emma and opened the door to the penthouse, and went inside first, putting her keys away. Emma followed slowly, and Regina eyed her amused when she took in the obscenity of the penthouse. Regina was used to this kind of wealth, hardly thought anything about it anymore, but it was nice to see someone else completely in awe. It made her look at her temporary home with new eyes. The living room was covered with a thick, deep red carpet. The seating area was sunk into the floor, accessible by going two steps of stairs down. It held an enormous television, a comfortable couch and two armchairs and one footstool, and a coffee table. On the side they were now standing was a small bar, a hallway to two bedrooms, and a bathroom. Behind the bar was a small kitchen which Regina never used - she either ate out or ordered room service - but she did sit at the table for breakfast. Behind the table, there were two sets of French doors leading to a spacious balcony, which she usually had open. She liked the fresh air. Between the doors stood a small desk where she headed to, placing the messages she had received from the receptionist on it.

“Impressed?” she asked Emma, slightly amused with the woman’s investigation of the space.   
  
“Nah,” Emma retorted immediately, blinking rapidly and collecting herself, “You kidding? I come here all the time.” She grinned, puffed up her chest a little, and added, “As a matter of fact, they  _ do  _ rent this room by the hour.” She smiled a little anxiously, but bravely straightened her back.

“Sure they do.” Regina smiled back and moved over to her desk on which piles of work were still waiting for her and she automatically sat down, as Emma entered the balcony.

“Wow, great view! I bet you can see all the way to the ocean from out here!” she called back inside.

“I’ll take your word for it. I don’t go out there,” Regina replied while opening the first message. Victor. A message about his car. She put it away.   
  
“Why not?” Emma asked, still outside.

“I’m afraid of heights,” Regina allowed after a few seconds. It was a weakness she hadn’t been able to overcome, much to her regret.   
  
“You are?” Emma entered the living room again. Regina briefly looked up before reaching for the second message. She nodded, and Emma tilted her head. “I thought you wouldn’t be afraid of anything.”   
  
“Alas.”

“But if you’re afraid of heights, how come you rented the penthouse, then?”

“It’s the best,” she simply answered. “I’ve looked all around for penthouses on the first floor, but I can’t find one.” She opened the third message that she had retrieved from downstairs while Emma continued her inspection of the penthouse. She could do with a little quiet when she went through the message, she thought briefly, but maybe she shouldn't have invited Emma up, then. She looked up, slowly putting the message away.

As if Emma read her thoughts, she suddenly halted her inspection and swirled towards her.

“Well, now that you have me here, what are you going to do with me?” She raised her hands to her hips with some professional bravado. 

“Actually, I don’t have a clue.” Regina’s eyes flashed up again and traveled quickly over the woman’s body. She turned back to her messages, swallowing something thick from her throat. There was a nervous flutter in her belly, but she’d be damned to let Emma know.

“You don’t?”    
  
“I haven’t exactly planned this,” Regina retorted, raising one eyebrow while staring at her next message. She couldn’t read a word it was saying.

“Oh. Well, do you plan everything?” Emma shrugged off her coat, revealing bare shoulders and toned arms, and Regina’s eyes were drawn to her by the sudden movement, then quickly looked away. For some reason, it felt wrong to stare, even though Emma was probably used to it.

“Always,” Regina answered with a single nod. 

Emma sat down on the steps to the seating area, watching her every move. “Well, that’s boring. Where’s your sense of adventure?” 

Regina scoffed, a little offended. “Adventure? Like your-” she cut her sniding remark off and turned away. Telling people off and sarcastic responses were such a natural way of talking for her, but she found that she didn’t want to hurt Emma’s feelings. And she didn’t know for sure, but she had the feeling that underneath the brazen appearance, Emma could be hurt by Regina’s sniding way of responding. It left her feeling awkward and she shuffled. Regina Mills never shuffled. 

Since she’d met Emma, she’d done many things that she usually never did. 

She scraped her throat.

Emma eyed her, knowingly. “You know,” she said, after a short pause, “You  _ could  _ pay me. That’s another way to break the ice. You know, next to my wide knowledge of useless trivia.”

"Yes, of course,” Regina replied quickly, a little flushed. She reached into her purse. “I assume cash is all right?” She found her fingers trembling slightly and she made a tight fist, before taking out her wallet.

“Sure works for me,” the blonde replied, getting up, moving closer to the desk, right inside Regina’s personal space. She felt a little awkward, never really letting people she hardly knew get this close - sitting in the car being the exemption. But here Emma stood - or actually,  _ sat _ on her desk, on the messages she still needed to go through, crossing her legs and automatically, Regina’s eyes wandered over her naked belly, over her smooth legs as Emma pushed the money into her boots. She felt her face flush and her mouth went dry. She leaned back a little, suddenly short of breath, feeling hot and insecure.

But apparently, Emma felt more confident again and leaned forward, granting Regina a view of her cleavage, while she lifted her fingers to Regina’s blouse. “Well, let’s get started then, shall we?” she drawled, her voice a little darker now, her fingers gently caressing the buttons of her blouse, before wandering to the top button. Okay, that  _ definitely _ did something to her lower belly, Regina noticed as her heart rate picked up, and a warmth settled in her lower belly, but she lifted her hands to grab Emma’s. She didn’t want it to be so crass. Hiring a hooker or not, she still had some class.   
  
“Wait.” 

Emma looked up in surprise, fingers immediately still. “What?”   


“I… why don’t we talk for a little while?” She gently untangled Emma’s fingers from her blouse and stepped backward.

“Talk,” Emma repeated, a little stunned, but she recovered quickly. “Yeah, um. Okay.” She frowned, but then her face relaxed again, and she tilted her head, leaning with her hands on the desk. “Why, Regina, are you in town for business or pleasure?” she asked a little formally, raising an eyebrow.

Relieved by the sudden physical and emotional distance and the chance to catch her breath, Regina got up and settled in an armchair. “Business, I suppose.” She placed her legs on the footstool in front of her.  
  
“Business, you suppose,” Emma repeated, and she followed her, frowning at Regina’s shoes. She sat down next to the footstool, glanced up at Regina. Regina eyed her a little curiously, not knowing what to expect next. “Well,” Emma continued. “Let me guess. That would make you… a lawyer.”

“A lawyer?” Regina said, eyebrows shooting up. “What makes you think I’m a lawyer?” 

Emma smirked. Lifted her hand, gently took one of Regina’s feet. Regina held her breath. “You have that sharp, useless look about you.”

Regina snorted, which relieved some of the tension. “I suppose you probably know a lot of lawyers,” she replied, only a little offended and at the same time, highly amused by the observation. 

“I’ve known a lot of everybody,” Emma said matter-of-factly, one eyebrow up, removing the shoe from her foot. Regina exhaled softly, which didn’t go unnoticed, and Emma’s hand wandered to the other foot, taking the second shoe off, as well. “There, that must feel a lot better. I thought I could walk on high heels. But yours are simply ridiculous - they’re like skyscrapers. Hey, more trivia. Did you know that high heels were first only worn by men?”   
  
“No, I did not. Are you always insulting the footwear of your… clients?” 

“Hm,” Emma hummed, good-natured, flashing her a smile, “Only of the ones I like.” 

Regina blinked as Emma winked at her, but she didn’t get the chance to respond. “So, not a lawyer,” Emma returned to the subject, “Accountant, then?”

“Sometimes.” Emma’s hand traveled over her feet, finding the right pressure points immediately and Regina inhaled sharply at the touch as tiny bolts of electricity shot up from her legs as Emma expertly massaged her foot. “They call me the Evil Queen.”

“Do they, now?” Emma eyed her amused. “So, like, you poisoned their apples? Carved out hearts of little princesses? Fussed in front of a mirror?”

“Metaphorically, yes.” Regina leaned back into the chair as Emma’s fingers methodically started to massage her feet. She didn’t know where she had picked up this particular gift, but Regina wasn’t going to complain. It was heavenly. “I’ve been told I’m very demanding and highly unlikeable.”

“Well, I don’t know you at work, but so far, you haven’t  _ demanded  _ anything. And I find you likable.”

Surprised, Regina lifted her head, and her eyes flashed to the blonde, who gazed right back. She noticed a light shade of pink coloring the blonde’s cheeks and wondered what it meant. It was the second time in a short period that Emma had told her that she liked her -- not  _ like _ -like, of course, but apparently, the blonde found her company pleasant. It was so far off the real world that Regina had trouble processing it.

She narrowed her eyes only a little. There was a fondness in that green stare that made Regina blink. Something fluttered in her chest as she held Emma’s gaze. She opened her mouth to reply.

But then, a bell sounded and Emma jumped up, startled. Regina stood up as well, realized that without her shoes and Emma still wearing hers, she was significantly smaller than the blonde. “What’s that?” Emma said, startled, eyes wide.

“Room service,” Regina muttered, staring in those bright green pools, still bewildered about Emma’s conclusion about her. There were a few brown flecks near Emma’s iris, she noticed - they were standing so close that their noses almost touched and they breathed each other’s air. The awareness made the air shift dramatically - it became thicker, filled with anticipation. Electric. And Regina’s lips tingled expectantly - she felt the urge to lean in a little, close the distance-

The bell rang again. Emma withdrew immediately and smiled a little tense, the moment gone instantly. “Well, I might as well make myself useful,” she said, stepping away. She quickly made her way to the door, while the bell sounded another time, and Regina followed her brazen movements while taking a deep breath to calm her heart rate. What the hell was that? It must be because she’d had a shitty day, her girlfriend broke up with her, otherwise, she’d never had been this impulsive in taking someone home with her - let alone hiring a prostitute, for that matter. 

Yes, she decided, that must be it. Maybe she was extra susceptible to someone saying something nice to her because of today, and because nobody ever said these things to her. Not even Kathryn, or any of her predecessors that had come and gone since her divorce. Her eyes traveled over Emma’s figure as she opened the door. She wasn’t used to niceties. She knew she wasn’t a likable person. Never had been. Maybe, her rational mind told her, it was something that Emma said because quite frankly, it was her  _ job _ to be nice to people. And yet, it still struck a nerve. Either Emma was a really good people-pleaser (or liar), or she genuinely meant it.

The man entering quickly took in Emma’s appearance appreciatively and it unnerved Regina immediately. “Good evening,” he said to Emma’s breasts, but Emma wasn’t put off by it at the least. She was probably used to it, Regina thought with a scowl. “Where would you like it?” he said, stepping in, and Emma turned towards Regina.    
  
“Where would we like it?” she repeated the question, and Regina tried to contain her annoyance.

“Over by the bar,” she said, voice surprisingly even. The man turned away from Emma and walked further into the penthouse, Emma on his heels, towards the bar, where he left the silver platter with the wine cooler.

“It’ll be on your bill, Miss Mills,” the man said, turning to face Regina, almost bumping into Emma when he turned. His face flushed. 

“Thank you,” Regina primly said, posture dismissive.

The man waited, looking at Emma with his hands clasped together, trying not to be distracted by the cropped top and hotpants. Emma’s brow furrowed as he stared at her. “What are you looking at?” She planted her hands firmly on her bare hips before turning to Regina. “What’s he looking at?”   
  
“Ah, yes,” Regina answered knowingly, spurring forward, closing the distance between them. She took a few bills out of her purse, and the man accepted them before hastily making himself scarce. 

“Tip,” Emma sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, shaking her head lightly as Regina passed her, “Wow. I missed that one.” 

Regina smirked and took the bottle of champagne. “Don’t worry about it, dear,” she replied. Emma sat down, tugged her boots off, revealing two well-toned lower legs. Regina felt a little queasy to her stomach and turned to the glasses abruptly. Emma had really nice legs. She uncorked the champagne and started to fill two glasses, her hands slightly trembling. She needed to get herself under control. 

But before she could speak, Emma did. “So, what’s the deal? You into women? Men, too?”   
  
“Women,” Regina answered matter-of-factly.

“Do you have a wife? Girlfriend?”

Regina smirked without humor. “Both.” Her eyes flicked to Emma, who snorted.

“Where are they?” she quipped with a smirk. “Shopping together?” She chuckled at her own joke when Regina flashed her a terse look.

She shook her head. “My ex-wife is now in Long Island, in my ex-apartment with my ex-dog.” Emma stood up, and Regina felt her eyes dropping to the muscled calves before she snapped her head up, giving her one of the flutes, and continued.

“My ex-girlfriend, Kathryn, is in New York, broke up with me today and is moving out of my apartment as we speak.” She shook her head in exasperation when Emma emptied her glass of champagne in one go. 

“Today? Oh man, that sucks. I’m sorry,” she said, licking her lips.

“Well,” Regina drawled, “I prefer my present company.” She heard Emma’s disbelieving snort. Green eyes found hers. “Aren’t you drinking?”   
  
“No.”

Emma held her gaze for a little while, and suddenly, there was a hint of anxiety flashing over her face. She straightened her shoulders. “So,” she started slowly, waving her hand through the air, “Listen. I um,… I appreciate this whole talking thing you got going, but let me give you a tip.” She flashed her a smile, a little awkward under Regina’s observing gaze. “I’m on an hourly rate. So, can we maybe move this along?”

A smile tugged on Regina’s lips. She just couldn’t get herself to look away. The uneasiness was endearing. “Somehow I’m sensing that this...  _ time problem  _ is a major issue with you,” she drawled, “Why don’t we get through that right now?”   
  
“Great,” Emma said, apparently almost relieved, and she pushed herself up from the chair she was sitting on. “Let’s get started.”

“How much for the entire night?”

Emma’s jaws snapped shut immediately and she halted mid-step. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up, almost disappearing into her hairline. And if Regina was really honest with herself, the question had slipped from her lips without thinking but she wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of having Emma around for a little longer than just the hour.

Emma swallowed. “Stay here?” she asked, eyes flashing through the penthouse before turning back to Regina. “And spend the night?” Regina nodded and realized she was holding her breath in anticipation. “You couldn’t afford it,” Emma said, raising her chin.

Regina’s mouth curved into a small smile. “Try me,” she countered, and again, Emma’s eyes flicked through the room - something she seemed to do when she was thinking. 

“800 dollars,” Emma blurted out.

“Done,” Regina immediately answered, got up from her chair, and took the empty champagne glass from Emma’s suddenly numb fingers, putting it away. “Thank you. Now we can relax.”

Emma seemed far from relaxed. “Um, do you have a bathroom?” she nervously asked.

Regina waved towards the door next to the front door, and Emma quickly slipped away, giving her a chance to collect herself. This was going to be an interesting evening, after all, Regina mused. She didn’t know what she was doing at all or what was going to happen, but it was already infinitely better than all the other nights she’d spent in this godforsaken city.

Tonight, she would get what she wanted, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. What the hell had just happened? Emma stared at her reflection and breathed in deeply, taking in the wide eyes, the way her shoulders were pulled up and she leaned closer until her breath started to fog the mirror. She had to contain herself. 800 fucking dollars. Sure, she’d said that Regina couldn’t afford it but the woman lived in a motherfucking penthouse, of course, she could. Regina could do whatever she wanted.

And apparently, what she wanted now was to hire a hooker and… And she didn’t know. Talk? Sex? Murder her in her sleep? Her thoughts ran wild and she nearly panicked.

Highly confused, she needed a little time to process everything. 800 dollars was enough to solve her pressing rent problems, Emma knew, trying to inhale deeply and get her racing heartbeat under control. She couldn’t hyperventilate in front of a customer, especially not this one. She leaned on the sink and stared at herself in the mirror. 

Her eyes studied over her own appearance in her reflection and told herself Regina was probably not going to murder her. But she didn’t blame herself for her thoughts wandering in that direction.

This was a weird night. It had started with her having to dodge her landlord - the rent of her shitty, one-room apartment was up and she hadn’t been able to make rent, so she had slipped out of the window and had fled down the fire escape. If there was anything Emma Swan was good at, it was running away. Given, she’d have to return later, but still. 

Anyway. Then, she had walked past a police investigation - one of her less fortunate colleagues had turned up dead. Skinny Marie was a crack whore, Emma knew, one of the reasons she’d never start using drugs herself. By the time she’d left the crime scene, she hadn’t figured out if the woman had died from an overdose or by the hand of her pimp or a customer - all three options were valid because hey, who’d ever care about a street whore turning up dead anyway - but she had felt so uneasy by then that she’d moved on towards her usual spot at Hollywood Boulevard.

She’d ignored the young boys honking their cars and whistling at her. She’d learned quickly that those idiots only wanted attention. She had turned, had started to walk to one of her more appreciated colleagues to see if she knew anything about the investigation down the street.

And that’s when she had spotted the classic black Mercedes. She’d almost not walked over, still anxious about the death of one of her fellow-hookers but it was a chance, it was work, and by the look of the car, it was a lot of money. And what did she have to lose anyway, her more macabre side told her. If the chance existed that the guy who murdered Skinny Marie was in that car, it wasn’t as if anyone would miss her if she wasn’t going to be there, anymore. But, if there was a chance the person on the inside of her car could help her make rent, it was a chance she’d have to take. She had plastered her best fake smile on her face and had leaned over, only to discover the most beautiful woman she’d ever laid her eyes on.  
  
From then, her night had started to pick up. First money for simply giving directions, then one hundred dollars for an hour of what - drinking champagne and eating strawberries? And now the entire evening? She knew how money looked and Regina exuded it, so she had been a little bold in stating her prices. Despite her current surge of anxiety, she wasn’t really surprised that the woman could afford it without so much as blinking.

She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ears, fingers slightly trembling. She had no idea why this Regina, president of Wealth Incorporated - with that intimidating aura and the way she looked so in control of things, she couldn’t be anywhere else but on top of the food chain -, would want to hire a street hooker straight off Hollywood Boulevard. She could definitely do better. 

The questions whirled in her mind, but in the end, she decided to go with the facts. 1, Regina was prepared to pay a shitload of money. 2, the woman clearly didn’t know what to do with Emma and didn’t want Emma to do anything either, but she wanted her to stay. 3, this was the easiest money she was going to make in forever. Emma was not going to complain.

And yet, she had seen the arousal in Regina’s eyes. The fire when she let her eyes wander over Emma’s body - Emma wasn’t going to deny it, Emma had felt a pleasant shiver run up and down her spine every time she did that. Whenever Emma touched her, she noticed it did something to Regina - the same as it did to Emma, only Emma hid it better. Emma had noticed the shaky, accelerated breathes, the swallows, the glances on her face. She was a professional, after all, and could read her customers. Even Regina, despite her attempts to hide behind this cool and collected mask. Regina clearly wanted something of her, she just… held back. And if it had been any other person, Emma would have been pleased. Like she’d thought before - easiest money in forever.

But the truth was, she found herself wanting to explore what Regina liked, and wanted to give it to her.

She scoffed at herself, raised her eyebrows at her reflection when she realized she actually wanted to do what Regina paid her to do - but that very part, she’d refused. She snorted out a laugh.

The woman was a mystery. Had been genuinely surprised when Emma told her she was likable. Who didn’t have anyone liking them? Well, apart from Emma herself, maybe, but being an orphan and street whore would probably do that to you - no family, no ties - and even then, she had some acquaintances on the street she could get along with. And there had been one person who had been somewhat of a mother figure to her when she’d just arrived in town, but she was long dead and buried. She was all alone now. But for the love of God, she couldn’t picture Regina all alone. Sure, the woman was a little distant, reserved, but she probably wouldn’t be with family, or friends, right?

Ugh, so many questions. She opened her bag and grabbed a mint - even though Regina didn’t want anything right now, a hooker should always be prepared -, let it roll over her tongue. Then, she inhaled deeply through her nose and threw her head in her neck before she exhaled, clutching her bag to her chest. She needed to calm the fuck down.

“What are you doing?” a sharp voice sounded from behind her and it nearly made her jump. She hadn’t heard Regina enter the bathroom. She whirled around, pressing her purse closer to her chest. “Nothing,” she said defensively, but Regina looked furious, eyes shifting between the bag and the blonde. Puzzled and suddenly a little scared under those blazing eyes, Emma blinked rapidly. She didn’t know what the hell was going on. Her fingers tightened around her purse and her heart rate picked up in anxiety. Her self-preservation reflexes were kicking in, as the adrenaline started to run through her body.

“What’s in there?” Regina said, eyes narrowed at her purse and instinctively, she put her arms around it. 

“Nothing,” she said immediately, and for a moment, she saw disappointment flashing over Regina’s face. And that made her insides churn, Emma noticed in horror. She didn’t know what Regina was thinking but the way her face went blank and distant, she instinctively knew what she’d meant by her remark of being the Evil Queen, earlier. The woman was scary as hell when she looked like this and Emma wondered if looks could really kill, because her heart pounded in her throat, making it difficult to breathe as her panic slowly got the better of her. 

“All right,” Regina told her, lips pursed, grabbing her forcibly by the arm, “I do not want any drugs here. I don’t want any of this. Get your money and please leave.” She pulled her towards the front door.

Wait -- what?! Within the blink of an eye, her panic had vanished now that she realized what assumption Regina had made about her, and outrage immediately replaced it. 

Emma recoiled at those accusations and roughly pulled herself loose - the adrenaline gave her strength. “I don’t do drugs,” she bit back, highly offended by the accusation, “I stopped doing drugs when I was fourteen.”

“Then what’s in the bag?” Regina grouched, and instinctively, she reached for it. Emma roughly yanked it back, opened it, and dumped the entire content on the floor. The mints, her phone, a notebook, some condoms, hand lotion, headphones, and two small bottles of lubricant and disinfection fell on the floor and scattered all over the place. Then, she turned the bag inside out and demonstratively held it up so Regina could see that there was nothing else in there.

“Happy now?” Emma fired back as Regina stared at the content. Her cheeks burned with outrage and shame because of most of the things she carried in her bag. She felt hurt by the assumption that she’d do drugs and she squatted to gather her stuff. But who could blame her, she bitterly thought. It was a common assumption that hookers used drugs, was it not? And yet, she felt betrayed and horrified and felt her eyes sting. 

The woman next to her stood frozen. “You put something in your mouth and threw your head back as I came in and I assumed…” Her voice wavered, a little insecure.

Emma knew exactly what Regina had assumed. And she was hurt by the implication of it. “Well, yeah, maybe you shouldn’t assume so much and just ask,” she murmured as she reached for the bottle furthest away and put it away. As her heart rate calmed down, she felt her own anger flaring up. Regina might be the rich bitch, but Emma had some pride left. With jerky movements, she grabbed her mints and shoved them back into her bag.

Slowly and, a little to Emma’s surprise, tentatively, Regina lowered herself to the ground as well. After a few seconds, she sighed. “I’m... sorry,” she finally said in a way that showed that apologizing was quite foreign to her. Then, she startled Emma again by reaching for her belongings and helping her to put them away again. “You… It’s just that… very few people surprise me.”

Emma’s head jerked up to meet Regina’s gaze, and she saw… remorse? She didn’t know what surprised her more - the apology or the look in Regina’s eyes. “Yeah well,” Emma murmured a little uneasy, “Then you’re lucky. Most of them shock the hell out of me.” It was a passive-aggressive reply. “I, uh, need a moment,” she murmured, feeling a little flustered by everything that had happened in these last two minutes especially.

Regina nodded, and, picked up the last, golden condom. She eyed it awkwardly and quickly handed it over to Emma before she got up. “I’ll leave you to your business and… I’ll meet you in the living room?”

“So, you don’t want me to leave?”

“No.” The answer came quickly and firmly.

Emma shrugged a response, and Regina turned, leaving her alone. She slowly got up and turned back to the mirror, inhaling deeply again. You’ve got this, she told herself. 800 dollars. If she wants you to dance the Macarena, you’re going to do it. Her nostrils flared a little as she pushed herself away from the sink.

~*~

So, after a little awkward reunion, Regina suggested they watch a movie and Emma got to pick a title. Maleficent, Emma chose, which made Regina curl up her lips in a small smile. “You have a thing for villains?” she asked, and it made Emma shrug.

“Angelina Jolie is hot,” Emma huffed unapologetically in response, “I’d have her any day. But hey, the Evil Queen looks good, too.” She winked at Regina with a sly smile, the bathroom incident all but forgiven and forgotten, and she settled next to the footstool as Regina chuckled. The sound allowed warmth to spread in Emma’s lower belly. Instinctively, she knew that Regina wasn’t a woman who laughed a lot but honestly, she should. Regina had made herself comfortable in the armchair, feet up once more, and had allowed Emma to raid the mini bar for chips and nuts. 

A few minutes into the movie, it became clear that Emma would watch the film alone because Regina’s phone rang. She took the call, and the ones after that, too. Emma ignored it, for the most part, while Maleficent annoyed the fairies and saved little Aurora from a canyon, only catching words like “Gepetto Industry” and “reports from Tokyo and London” because Regina talked about it in the more silent parts of the movie. The woman was a workaholic, Emma realized, because it was past midnight already and she was still asking people to call her back with results immediately. Her tone had shifted, too. Sure, she had sounded irritably in the car, but the cold, reserved tone she used to some of the people she spoke to, wasn’t a pleasant one. She felt sorry for her employees on the other side of the line. She briefly wondered if Regina ever took time off. Probably not. It was close to midnight, and she was still working.

Two hours had come and gone from the moment she’d stepped into Regina’s car, until now. It were the most bizarre two hours of her life, she mused - and she’d been in some pretty bizarre situations - as she watched how Maleficent magically transported a sleeping, gliding Aurora to her own kingdom. But good bizarre. Definitely good. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in forever.

“I have a little carpet picnic here,” Emma informed her as soon as she ended the call. “You want something to drink? Or eat?”

Regina smiled at her, a little absentmindedly. “No, thank you.” She scribbled something on a writing pad. “You go ahead.”

Emma smiled, shrugged, and moved to lie down on her belly at the extremely comfy carpet while empty sacks of nuts and candy were scattered around her and sighed. This carpet was probably even softer than her own mattress back in her room and absentmindedly, she stroked it with her fingers. She vaguely noticed how Regina crossed her ankles on the footstool as Emma chuckled about something in the movie before she looked up to see if Regina was paying attention to the movie again.

Well, yes, Regina was paying attention. But not to the movie. Her brown eyes were fixated on Emma. Emma’s breath got stuck in her throat at the intensity of Regina’s gaze and a tiny shiver ran down from the base of her neck to the small of her back, and then slowly traveled up again, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her body. Her nostrils flared a little in anticipation. When their eyes met, the air shifted, and the electricity in the air cracked immediately. Emma tilted her head, licked her lips. Regina’s eyes didn’t move away - they only darkened and Emma softly exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

The woman was breathtakingly beautiful. Emma had noticed it before, but there had always been a reservation, a wall put up high around the brunette. Right now, she seemed more… open. More approachable. Her eyes shone with a ferocity Emma hadn’t seen yet, and it made her lower belly heat up quickly. Regina’s eyes left hers, her brown gaze flicked to her mouth, before they traveled over her body, stretched out over the soft carpet. She knew what this meant. 

And she definitely knew what to do.

Slowly, without taking her eyes off of Regina’s face, Emma pushed herself up to hands and knees. The way Regina’s eyes followed her movements told Emma that Regina wasn’t completely untouched - but she wasn’t nervous, either. Not like she had been, before. She tilted her head only a tiny bit, expressing her interest, but the want and the arousal in her gaze, Emma could recognize anywhere. This was familiar ground for her - and at the same time, it wasn’t, because her own reaction had never been this strong. She swallowed thickly, breath stuttering in anticipation.

Emma slowly crawled closer on hands and knees, giving Regina ample time to respond, until she reached the footstool, where Regina’s feet were still resting. Emma’s hands touched the feet and gently uncrossed Regina’s ankles, causing goosebumps where she touched the bare skin, and placed her feet on the floor. Gently, she opened her thighs. Regina’s breath stuttered and accelerated in expectation. Emma smiled contentedly as she easily settled between Regina’s legs, sitting on the floor in front of her. Regina followed her every movement with her dark eyes. As she got up to her knees, Emma reached for the hems of her tank top and very slowly pulled it over her head. Regina’s eyes flicked to her chest - her breath quickened even more and grew shallow. Emma’s skin tingled under the burning gaze. The want and need were familiar to her, but at the same time, they weren’t because of her own fierce, physical reaction to the brunette. She looked at Regina through hooded eyes, an inviting smirk on her face, and brought herself up to her knees, her face closer to Regina’s. Regina’s gaze shifted between Emma’s mouth and eyes as their quick breaths mingled, nose almost touching, and the brunette bit her lower lip.

“What do you want?” Emma softly asked, and Regina swallowed thickly.

“What do you do?” she retorted with a husky voice, which electrified the air around them even further and sent a bolt of electricity right through Emma’s throbbing core - she suppressed a gasp.

“Everything,” she whispered, eyes flashing to Regina’s plump lips, before settling on her eyes again. “But I don’t kiss on the mouth.” Her fingers, meanwhile, trailed over the buttons of Regina’s blouse, playing with the top button. “Too personal.”

“I agree,” Regina replied, bringing up her trembling hands to her blouse to help Emma. Her fingers nervously fidgeted with the button before Emma gently took them, kissed them, and placed them on her own hips, where they started to wander immediately.

“Let me,” she murmured before leaning closer, drawing her fingers over her blouse until she reached the first button. She opened it and pressed a kiss to Regina’s chest, licked the sensitive skin, which drew a sharp gasp from Regina. Emma smiled, fingers moving to the next button, repeating her movements with every button she opened, pressing kisses on Regina’s chest, stomach, belly, until Regina was squirming below her. The last button opened and Emma gently pushed the blouse off her shoulders, fingers trailing over the silky skin - Emma couldn’t remember ever having felt skin as soft as Regina’s. Goosebumps emerged where Emma touched and she hummed contentedly before her fingers slowly traveled to Regina’s back and reached for the clasp of Regina’s bra. She intently looked at Regina’s face to see if she had permission, but the impatience radiating off Regina’s face told her enough. 

And when the bra came off, her own breath caught in her throat upon seeing two small breasts, dark nipples hardening under her eyes. Regina inhaled sharply as Emma bent over, fingers brushing against the soft skin, pinching softly, before her lips took over, sucking and biting the sensitive flesh before finding the first nipple - and them moving on to the second. Regina whimpered, moaned, writhed below her and her back arched, instinctively pushing herself closer to Emma’s mouth. 

Emma chuckled hoarsely against her flushed skin. Her hand wandered lower, caressing Regina’s side, brushing over her belly, wandered towards the slacks Regina was still wearing, and Emma reluctantly let go of Regina’s breasts to undress her further. Within the blink of an eye and without much effort, the slacks were opened and pulled down over Regina’s knees - laced panties disappearing with it at the same time. 

Regina’s eyes were half-closed, hazy with arousal, as Emma settled more comfortably between Regina’s thighs and her fingers started to travel up and down her inner thighs, her lips following while she peppered kisses on the sensitive skin. 

But then, the brunette suddenly sat upright, reached to remove Emma’s bra and Emma nodded approvingly. She unconsciously moaned at the soft fingers on her body and it made Regina move closer. She bent her head to kiss Emma, but Emma turned her head away automatically, tilted her head, so Regina’s mouth landed on the base of her neck as she unclasped Emma’s bra with expert fingers. Regina’s fingertips ran over Emma’s bare back, fluttered to her front and her hands cupped her breasts, fingers rubbing over her nipples, meanwhile nuzzling Emma’s neck with her nose and biting into Emma's pulse point. It left Emma shuddering, breathing shallowly, as heat quickly built up in her lower belly, as she felt herself unable to suppress her responses to Regina’s touches and teasing. She felt how Regina’s lips curved into a smile against her skin after she drew a moan from Emma’s throat, taking the opportunity to run her tongue over Emma’s neck. God, she whimpered, this woman definitely knew what she was doing. What’s more, Regina treated her as an equal, something Emma wasn’t used to. Emma gasped as Regina’s hands wove through her hair, noticed her quick loss of control and she felt the desperate need to take it back. 

Breathing shallowly, Emma gently pushed Regina back to lean against the back of the chair, heat raging through her own veins, unable to hide her own arousal. “This is about you,” she murmured, leaning over to press a kiss on Regina’s soft skin around her navel. Regina wanted to protest, but her body arched up immediately and Emma took the opportunity to slip an arm around her thigh, forcing her down. Her free hand traveled over the inside of Regina’s things up to its apex while her mouth peppered kisses on Regina’s lower belly, sometimes nipping gently, while her lips wandered lower in an antagonizing slow speed.

“Fuck,” Regina hissed as Emma nipped at the skin right above her slit, and Emma’s lips curled. Precisely, she hummed against Regina’s skin as her mouth lowered. Without warning, she ran her tongue over Regina’s wet folds and it had Regina gasping, squirming, hips bucking up as her breath shuddered. Emma knew exactly when Regina surrendered control and when her instincts took over - she pressed her clit to Emma’s mouth as Emma pushed her legs further open. She ran her fingers through the soft flesh as her tongue curled around Regina’s clit before she gently slipped one, then two fingers inside. A half-sob escaped Regina’s throat, as she started to grind into Emma’s touch. But Emma forced her to slow down, to follow Emma’s pace instead of the erratic movements of her hips. Regina’s Regina’s fingers dug into her hair to hold her close in response. She didn’t need to worry - Emma wasn’t going anywhere. 

“More,” Regina demanded with a whine, writhing, and Emma was all too happy to comply, slipping a third finger in - god, Regina was so wet. So soft - so hot. Heat radiated off of Emma as she tried to contain herself, sensing the wetness in her own underwear, and her tongue picked up the speed, ran through Regina’s folds, her mouth sucked on her clit, and Regina’s moans and sounds were growing more frantic. And as Regina’s breath started to accelerate even more, Emma suddenly twisted her fingers and her mouth latched onto the brunette’s clit simultaneously. “Fuck,” Regina exploded with a shuddering, loud cry. It sent an electrical firestorm to Emma’s core that nearly made her come right there and then, as well, when she felt Regina’s walls clenching violently around her fingers, her body convulsing powerfully and her legs tightening around her head, as Emma, still holding her fingers inside, pressed soft kisses at the inside of Regina’s thighs. She shifted a little, felt her own wet underwear stick to her own core as her heart pounded deafening in her throat, and she was not surprised. Regina was one of the hottest women she had ever seen, had ever fucked and she was almost honored that she was the one that could make her fall apart like this. 

Seeing her come undone turned Emma on in a way no one ever had before - the heat was pounding in her veins, like a volcano ready to erupt. And even though this was about her, she didn’t want it to end. So as Regina slowly came to, Emma started to wiggle her fingers inside the brunette, feathery light, while her free hand lightly trailed over Regina’s belly. Just testing the water a little bit, she breathed, biting her lip in anticipation. She wanted to see that again. To do that again. And she was in luck, she saw pleasantly surprised, because Regina was all for it.

Regina’s head had fallen back when the tension had left her body and the orgasm had turned her body into jelly, but the touch and the moving fingers still inside her made her skin twitch and her hips move restlessly. She abruptly looked up, eyes still foggy from the orgasm but the message loud and clear. “Again,” she murmured almost unnecessarily and Emma smiled, nodded only once. She would gladly comply. She pushed herself up to her knees, took a nipple in her mouth as she slowly retracted her fingers inside her, before thrusting them in again, picking up a slow, but steady pace. 

Regina moaned, pressed her clit restlessly towards Emma’s hand, her other one cupping the back of Emma’s head, forced her closer to her chest. Regina’s skin was salty - a sheen of sweat covered her body. Emma’s mouth traveled up from Regina’s breast to her neck, as she thrust her fingers in again. “Ah,” Regina grunted, her fingers tightening in Emma’s hair. That single gesture made her own arousal build up quickly and every sound and movement Regina made shot electric fire directly to her lower belly. She buried her head in Regina’s neck, ran her tongue from the base of her neck up to her earlobe and back, nipped at her pulse point, and pushed her fingers in deep again while lifting her own body up from the floor to straddle Regina’s right thigh. Her own breath shuddered as her sensitive parts felt the muscles moving, even though her own pants, and automatically, she started to move on Regina’s thigh, riding it to seek friction, matching the speed with her thrusts, still licking and kissing the sensitive skin of Regina’s neck. “No marks,” Regina breathed, her voice hitching. She placed a hand on Emma’s chest, pushing her a little up and before Emma could stop her, she caught one of Emma’s nipples with her plump lips. 

Emma whimpered as Regina licked and bit playfully, her grinding movements and thrusts becoming more erratic and somewhere in the back of her mind a voice said that this wasn’t about her, it was about Regina and she needed her boundaries back. Desperately, she started to pull back, but then Regina dug her fingers into Emma’s back to keep her where she was and moaned “Come with me,” and her breath accelerated sighing and moaning with every exhale. Emma’s breath did the same as she buried her head in the crook of Regina’s neck, pressed her clit to Regina’s leg, writhing to find the friction she needed as her fingers continued to thrust into Regina, until Regina froze before she started to shudder fiercely. She threw her head back and cried soundlessly, shivers running from head to toe through her body. The sight of Regina crashing over the edge made her own body explode with a nearly surprised “Oh!” 

Her insides sang, pulled together, tore apart. It was feverish, like liquid fire shooting through her veins as Regina continued to tighten and untighten around her fingers until she forcibly pushed Emma’s hand away. Enough. Curling her arms around her, Emma held Regina close as she shuddered and shook - she didn’t know which of them was trembling more, only that they both held on tightly to anchor the other. As they came down from their high, Emma swallowed thickly as she realized what had happened and what kind of implications it might have. 

She’d lost control. Utterly and completely. Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. Emma’s breath shuddered as her clouded brain registered what had happened. Losing control like this was basically violating one of her ground rules and yet, she had. And at the same time, as she tried to scold herself, she couldn’t really be upset about it all. She knew she was ready to do it again in a heartbeat. Her mind was too exhausted from the most mind-blowing sex she’d ever had and she couldn’t think straight anymore. Instead, she slipped off Regina’s thigh and pulled her close, cradled her in her arms. Regina was still trembling, and she didn’t want to think anything about the tenderness that fell over her, either. Emma whispered nonsensical words in her ear, pressed soft kisses to her soft, brown hair, felt how Regina’s arms slipped around her waist and held her close, while the light, panting of her breath calmed and slowly disappeared. Shocked, Emma realized that she would probably do anything for this woman, anything she’d ask her to. 

What did that mean?

Her clouded brain couldn’t process that thought right now as their breathing returned to their normal pattern and Emma pressed a kiss on Regina’s sweaty forehead. Tomorrow was soon enough for thinking and self-flagellation, when she huddled up in her own crappy apartment again. Right now, she wanted to take care of the woman next to her. “Come,” she whispered, “Let’s go find a bed, shall we?” 

Regina blinked, looked a little unsure, her gaze still dazed. “I’m not sure if I can stand yet,” she murmured. Emma smiled, protectiveness settling in her chest. 

“I’ll help you,” she said, gently tucking a lock of sticky hair behind Regina’s ear. “Come on.” Given, her own legs were also still a little wobbly, something that didn’t happen very often. Or not at all, not like this, she had to admit to herself as she slipped an arm around Regina’s waist, helping her up, and leading her to the bedroom, nuzzling her hair. She smelled nice. Expensive soap with a hint of apple and some other fruity scent. It suited her. 

As Regina sat down on the bed and pulled up her legs, Emma took off her short jeans. Then, she pulled the duvet back - goodness, she’d never felt such soft sheets before. She laid on her back, tugging on Regina’s waist. “Come here,” she murmured and Regina tiredly complied. The brunette settled her head against Emma’s shoulder and draped an arm and leg over Emma’s body. They both sighed contentedly as Emma started to draw soothing circles over Regina’s back. “Sleep,” she gently told her, pressing a kiss on her head.

It didn’t take long before Regina’s breath evened out. Emma’s thoughts kept her awake for a little while longer until she, too, drifted off.

~*~

It was still dark when Regina’s internal clock woke her up. She shifted a little but soon found out that there wasn’t a lot of room to stretch out her weary limbs. Not only that, she was completely entangled with another person - something she not usually did. She always found it too warm to curl up against her lovers and preferred her own side of her bed. Now, her arm was wrapped around a warm body and her side was firmly pressed against it. Even her leg had snuck its way over Emma’s.

Emma. Her breath caught in her throat.

She had hired a hooker for god knows whatever reason to keep her company and boy, did she keep her company last night. Her face flushed, her cheeks burned and her heart pounded in her head at the memories. And she knew she needed some distance to process and compartmentalize what happened in her head.

She slowly started to untangle her leg from Emma’s and pulled her hand back, before carefully shifting away. She was startled by how reluctant she was to leave the bed. Her body protested a little and the shiver running over her back wasn’t entirely from the cold, she knew, as she quickly pulled on a hotel robe, before she turned to look at the sleeping figure at the bed.

The duvet had slipped from her chest, exposing Emma’s naked upper body. The pale light entering through the body made her fair skin look like ivory, her nipples just a little darker. It lit up the contours of Emma’s peaceful face. Her long, blond curls were fanned out over the pillows, her arm curved above her head, the other one stretched to the side - the one Regina had been lying on moments before. Her chest slowly moved up and down in a steady rhythm of relaxed sleep, her lips a little pursed, which made her exhales a little puffy. Regina noticed how she smiled down at the woman and immediately, her face pulled into a frown. 

Emma definitely had known what she was doing and the mere memory of her expert fingers over her body, inside her, made her lower belly fill up with throbbing heat. And that physical reaction was exactly what made Regina withdraw from her - she couldn’t afford to depend on anyone, and would never be a victim to her hormones. Scolding herself, she made her way to the shower. Her body was still sensitive and at the same time, extremely sated - God, that was the most mindblowing and satisfying sex she had had in years. Maybe in her entire life. She didn’t even feel guilty dismissing her exes as worse lovers than the blonde who was currently occupying her bed. 

She used the time in the shower to collect herself again and focus on the work lying ahead of her. There was a lot of work to be done if she wanted to conclude the upcoming deal with Gepetto Industries and go home in a week. And she really wanted to go home. She didn’t like Los Angeles much. Too hot. So, she’d have to think less about the woman in her bed and focus more on the takeover even though, right now, in the dark of the night, the bed seemed the better choice. 

She abruptly turned the water cold and with a gasp, she realized it helped to pull her thoughts away from Emma, at least a little. But she couldn’t take the freezing cold for too long, so after a few seconds, she turned off the shower and shivering, she toweled herself dry, before she got dressed in her usual business attire - blouse, grey skirt suit. Automatically, she applied her basic make-up, too. Foundation, mascara, eyeliner, eye pencil, and her favorite deep red lipstick. She smirked at herself as she saw the result.

Perfect, as always. She wouldn’t settle for less.

The clock told her it was a little after five, so she decided to let Emma sleep and she went into the living room, settling behind her desk and turning on a small light on it. She had a lot of work to do. She picked up her messages, leafed through them, organized them by importance, and started working. By the time the bellboy brought breakfast at 7.30, she had caught up with most of the work she had failed to do the day before, after getting lost in this hellhole city. She nodded, satisfied with her progress, as she mindlessly took some yogurt and fruit.

Her attorney called at precisely 8 o’clock like he did every morning. Victor Whale and herself had worked together for the last ten years, and she figured he was the closest thing she had to a friend. Not that she really liked him personally, but he was her right hand and lived up to all her expectations of being a ruthless shark, going straight for the kill, by which he had earned her respect. She did not want emotion in her deals because it usually meant an unnecessary complication. So it’s why their current topic made her a little irritably, as he expressed his concerns about the CEO of their targeted company. “He won’t go down without a fight,” he warned her, a little worried.

“Of course he’ll put up a fight,” Regina huffed annoyed, sitting down at the breakfast table, jabbing a berry to a fork. “He’s run his company for a long time. I don’t think he’s ready to have his name taken off the stationery.” She smirked. He was going to have to.

“He wants to meet you, face-to-face,” Whale told her, the anxiety still evident in his voice. “I wouldn’t do it if I were you.”

“Sure you wouldn’t,” she primly spoke, rolling her eyes, “but as you so sharply observed, you’re not me. Do it anyhow. Tonight. Dinner. Set it up.”

“Regina, it’s really not a good idea that you see him, definitely not alone,” Whale protested vehemently. She could hear his pen tapping on his desk. He did that when he was anxious, she knew. “He’s a feisty old guy. We say the wrong thing, we could wind up in court.” 

“There’s always a possibility that things will go wrong,” Regina countered simply. She usually went with her guts and she was usually right, but sometimes, deals fell through. It was part of the game. “That’s why I enjoy it so much. And you know you do so, too.”

Victor huffed but didn’t disagree. 

“By the way, Victor,” Regina slowly said, because she could, “About your car…”

“Oh god, Regina, what happened?” The man sounded incredibly distressed, and Regina’s lips curled into a smile. Boys with toys. He could probably buy at least fifty of those cars and yet, this one meant the world to him. She liked to hear him squirm.

“Pick it up at the hotel. It’s fine.” She hung up before he could say anything else, and put down her phone.

“Hi,” she heard a soft voice behind her and her head snapped up so fast that she was surprised it didn’t give her whiplash. Victor’s call and her work had momentarily made her forget that she wasn’t alone in the penthouse, but the tentative greeting was enough to bring it all back instantly. The warmth flowing to her lower belly startled her and she sat up straight. Emma stood behind her, a little insecure, and smiled shyly. 

“Good morning,” Regina replied, a little formally, forcing herself to smile. Emma wore a hotel bathrobe that was too big for her and it was adorable, Regina concluded as her eyes quickly flashed over her body. The blonde hugged herself awkwardly before pushing some strands of hair behind her ear. 

“You didn’t wake me. I, um, can see you’re really busy,” Emma started her nervous apology. “I’ll be out of here in just a minute.” She started to withdraw, but she wasn’t even halfway turned as Regina cleared her throat. 

“Wait.”

Regina didn’t know what to do or say to make her feel more at ease - it surprised her that she even wanted to. Technically, their night together was over and it was time for Emme to go home. 

But it didn’t have to be over. Not just yet. 

Her conflicting emotions startled her. She needed to enlarge the distance between herself and the blonde because the physical attraction drove her mad, but at the same time, she wanted the woman to stay and enjoy the company a little bit. 

Maybe she was just lonely. That had to be it. A little while longer wouldn’t hurt.

“There’s no hurry,” Regina said quickly, for the moment ignoring the warning voice in the back of her mind. She knew it was foolish to extend Emma’s stay. But if she had to go back to the hellhole where Regina picked her up, the least she could do was make sure the blonde would eat properly. “Are you hungry? You must be. Why don’t you sit and have something to eat?” She stood up, took a step towards the blonde, and then hesitated when she noticed that Emma looked a little guarded. “I… I didn’t know what you liked so… I took the liberty of ordering everything.”

Emma’s gaze shifted between Regina’s face and the full table. There were small baked pieces of bread, eggs, croissants, pancakes, coffee, orange juice, yogurts, and fruits. Her eyes wandered over it all and landed on Regina next, a little disbelieving. Then, she reached out to grab a croissant - or actually, she snatched it away, and quickly moved outside to the balcony. Regina smirked, not following her but sitting down at the table again.

“Did you sleep well?” Regina called after her, and Emma’s answer came quick.

“Yeah. Too good. Forgot where I was,” she replied from outside. 

“Occupational hazard?” she asked with a raised eyebrow as Emma entered the room again through the other set of doors, before slowly making her way back to the table.

Emma chuckled. “Yeah. Did you sleep?” she said, regaining some of her confidence and half-leaning against, half-sitting on the table next to Regina. 

“I did. A little. I woke up after a few hours and worked.” She shot an apologetic smile before she realized doing so and pulled her face in her professional, distant mask again.

Emma smirked at her with knowing eyes but didn’t comment. “So, you don’t sleep, you don’t do drugs, you don’t drink…” Her gaze shifted to the still barely touched breakfast table. “You don’t eat… what do you do, Regina? I know you’re not a lawyer. Or an accountant.”

“That’s right,” Regina smiled, shifting in her chair before she forced herself to lean back and relax her limbs. The blonde’s proximity was unnerving, and she needed her to be a little further away from her to keep a clear head. As far as that was possible with Emma. “There are four other chairs here, you know,” she said, looking up to meet Emma’s gaze before letting her gaze wander to one of the other chairs. 

“Oh,” Emma said, looking at the table as if she only just noticed it was bigger than Regina’s chair. She got up from the table and moved to the nearest chair, sitting down with one bare leg pulled up from under the bathrobe, automatically catching Regina’s gaze. “So,” Emma tried again, “What do you do?”

“I buy companies,” Regina offered slowly, tearing her gaze away from the bare knee.

“What kind of companies?” Emma tilted her head in interest.

“Well, I buy companies that are in financial difficulty.”

Emma took another bite of her croissant. “If they’re in trouble it must be bargains then, won’t it?”

“Well,” Regina smiled, taking a sip of her orange juice, “The company I’m buying this week, I’m getting for the bargain price of about one billion.”

Emma stopped chewing and her eyes snapped up to Regina’s face. “A billion dollars?!”

“Yes.” Regina folded her hands under her chin, looking amused.

Emma blinked quickly, held her gaze before turning back to her croissant. “Wow. You must be really smart, huh?” Regina scoffed but eyed her amused. “I only got through eleventh grade. How far did you go in school?”

“I went all the way,” Regina said, eyes crinkling with a small smile.

Emma nodded, plucking another bite from her croissant. “Your folks must be really proud, huh?” she said, tentatively smiling and now a little intimidated as well.

The remark stung and Regina raised her chin, her face suddenly void of emotion. Emma’s innocent remark painfully reminded her of her parents and she had to tell herself that it wasn’t Emma’s fault. She didn’t know. So she bit back a snappy retort and turned her eyes to the yogurt in front of her, instead, not answering the question.

The silence felt uneasy until Emma took a pancake and inquired: “So, you don’t actually have a billion dollars, do you?”   
  
“Well, no,” Regina offered. “Not in money. I get some of it from investors, banks… It’s not an easy thing to do.”

“And you don’t make anything and you don’t build anything?” Emma’s face pulled in a frown.

“No.”

“So, what do you do with the companies once you buy them? Do you fix them?”  
  
“No. I sell them.”

Emma’s eyebrows raised in confusion till they nearly touched her hairline. “You sell them?”

“Well, I don’t sell the whole company,” Regina clarified, wondering why it was so easy to talk about work with Emma, whereas she had always been reluctant to talk about it with Kathryn. Maybe because she knew that this was very temporary. It didn’t matter, and she didn’t see any harm from explaining it to the blonde. “I break it into pieces and sell that off, if it’s worth more than the whole.”

Emma eyed her thoughtfully. “So it’s sort of like… stealing cars and then selling them for the parts, right?”

“Yes. Sort of.” Regina had to smile at the comparison. “But legal.” 

“Right.” Emma’s brow furrowed momentarily before she swallowed the last piece of her pancake. There was a short silence in which she reached out for the next pancake and plucked a piece off it. “Doesn’t it bother you, though?”

“What?”  
  
“That you don’t... fix them? Make anything? Well… you make money, I guess. But don’t you want to… I don’t know. Leave something behind after you’re gone, besides a huge bank account? Something you can be proud of?”

Emma’s simple dismissal of her entire company as something unmeaningful flared up her anger so quickly that it took Regina by surprise.  
  
“Don’t you?” Regina retorted sharply. Her eyebrows raised in a mocking way, she let her gaze pointedly wander over Emma’s figure. She hardly indulged criticism, especially from people she hardly knew -- especially from the person she had picked up from the street. Even if they had magical fingers. 

Which was so something she didn’t want to think about right now, but Emma was slowly tearing parts off of the damn pancake with those fingers, and God, it distracted Regina which annoyed her even more. And Emma just didn’t seem to care what she was inflicting.

“Well,” Emma replied seemingly unfazed, clearly getting a little more confident while picking up a berry and popping it in her mouth, along with a piece of pancake, “I would, but I hardly have enough money to repair my boots, as you so subtly pointed out. Or wait, I guess I do now.” She grinned triumphantly. “Anyway,” she continued, “I mean, wouldn’t it be great to leave something after you’re gone instead of simply a lot of money where probably a lot of family members are going to fight over?”

“So what, you’re an investment advisor now, too? Is it included in your price?” Regina sneered. Emma had no idea what she was talking about, she told herself tersely.

An uneasy silence settled between them. “Just making conversation. Didn’t know it was a touchy subject,” Emma finally said with a small frown. “Sorry.”

Regina knew she had overreacted and that Emma hadn’t meant anything by it, but turned her head away, back to her work. She wasn’t going to apologize. Emma overstepped. She had apologized. Regina needed to let it go. But damnit, her comments stung in places it never stung and it annoyed the crap out of her. 

“Mind if I take a swim in your tub before I go?” Emma asked tentatively after a few seconds.

Regina shook her head. “Not at all,” and before she had finished her sentence, Emma flashed her a tight smile and got up. 

“I’ll be out of your hair soon, I promise,” Emma said but Regina waved a hand at Emma. 

Regina nodded tersely. And when Emma disappeared into the bathroom, she sighed and felt unsettled, not really able to lay a finger on the exact reason apart from the conversation they had just had. She got up, suddenly restless, wandered through the penthouse until she reached the mirror near the entrance. 

She stopped and stared. She narrowed her eyes as she studied her reflection. Silk, white blouse, grey pencil skirt, and blazer. Make-up perfectly in place: eyeliner and pencil, mascara, and deep red lipstick. Flawless. Impeccably dressed, as always. And she had to be. She was Regina Mills, ice-cold CEO of Mills Enterprises, a woman in a man’s world with a reputation to uphold. The Evil Queen, who was so much more successful than her male competitors. They resented her for it, in which notion she reveled. That was who she was. Not the person she had allowed herself to be yesterday evening.   
  
Right?

Right. She nodded once at her reflection.

She had built a thriving company with blood, sweat, and tears. Her company was her legacy, she told herself. Her company was what mattered, no matter what a certain blonde may tell her. She hadn’t asked for her opinion and she certainly wasn’t going to listen to it.

It was wonderous how much Emma amused and irritated her at the same time.

Her phone rang and it snapped her out of her thoughts, and she answered without looking. There was only one person who would call her at this time.

“Victor.”

Victor started talking right away. If there was one thing she appreciated in her attorney, was that he hardly spent time on pleasantries. “I’m running out the door but I just wanted to let you know that Gepetto is set for tonight,” he told her. Regina leaned back, tilting her head a little as she gave herself a long, hard, final stare. 

“That’s good,” she said, turning around, momentarily distracted when she heard off-key singing emerging from the bathroom. Damn it. She tilted her head curiously, and slowly made her way towards the sound, while Victor went on.

“He’s bringing his son, August. He’s apparently grooming him to take over.” Victor scoffed. Regina felt a smile tug at the corner of her lip. As if that was going to happen. The sound coming from the bathroom was horrible and yet, Regina found herself strangely drawn to it.

“Ah, yes. I know him. August Booth. A very sharp and smart young man. Plays polo,” Regina hummed. She had encountered him before. He was an obnoxious idiot, like all of them. 

“Listen, Regina, I have to say this again. I don’t like you going alone,” Victor tried again, almost pleading with her. 

Regina pushed open the door to the bathroom and scoffed at Victor, who continued with, “I just think it would be better if you went with a date. Keep it social.” She hummed absentmindedly and drank in the sight in front of her, her observations in front of the mirror moments ago all but forgotten. “Regina?” You hear me?”  
  
“Yes. Yes, I’m here,” she replied shortly, while her eyes wandered over the blonde in the bathtub, wireless headphones on her head, her eyes closed, and singing along so off-key that she almost burst out laughing. Almost, because she never did. Emma had put up her hair in a loose knot, and her body was completely submerged in fluffy foam as her head bobbed at the beat of the music.

“ _They will not force us,_ ” Emma screeched.

“What is that?” Victor asked, irritated.

“Housekeeping is singing,” Regina smirked, unable to keep her eyes off of the woman.   
  
_“They will stop degrading us.”_

Victor was silent for a few seconds, then sighed impatiently. “Yeah. Listen, Regina, I know a lot of nice guys. Girls, too.”

_“They will not control us.”_

“No, you don’t,” Regina said automatically as Emma kept on singing with her eyes closed. “Besides, I already have one.” She had blurted it out before she knew it. She halted with a frown, but then she tilted her head as she thoughtfully eyed the singing - no, squealing - blonde in the bathtub, and the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea that was now taking shape in her mind.   
  
There was a heavy silence and Regina could imagine Victor Whale sitting upright, suddenly alarmed, in his overpriced desk chair. 

“Wait, what? Who? Is Kathryn-”

“ _We will be victorious_ ,” Emma brought out squawking, and Regina winced. The poor woman really couldn’t sing.

“You just concentrate on finding out what Gepetto is up to. I am on my way to the office.” She ended the call before he could reply, and she sat down on the edge of the bath as the song ended, and Emma opened her eyes when she mimicked the last notes of the guitar and drums by tapping on the foam.

She saw how her sudden presence startled the blonde, but then Emma’s face eased into a smile. “Don’t you just love Muse?” she said, pulling her headphones off.

Regina eyed her with a smile tugging at her lips and eyes crinkling. “The real version, yes,” she replied a little mocking. Emma rolled her eyes.

“Don’t you knock?” Emma asked then, quirking an eyebrow, but Regina scoffed.

“As if you’d heard me,” she dismissed her words impatiently with the wave of her hand. “Emma, I have a business proposition for you.” She crossed her legs, and leaned in a little, careful not to get her blazer wet.

“What do you want?” Emma said, tilting her head in curiosity.

“I am going to be in town until Sunday. And I’d like you to spend the week with me.” It wasn’t a question per se, just a mere statement of facts. She wanted this. And she was going to get this.

The myriad of emotions on Emma’s face was entertaining to observe until finally, a wide smile appeared on her face and her eyes started to sparkle. “Really?”

“Yes,” Regina confirmed. “I’d like to hire you… as some sort of employee.” Suddenly, she got a little nervous, but she hid it expertly behind a taxing gaze.

The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that this was the perfect solution to her problem. _Maybe if you want to have someone to respond to your every whim, you should hire someone to do it_ , Kathryn had said. And why the hell not? It would be the best of both worlds. Regina wanted someone to help her out during the day and she definitely wouldn’t mind having Emma warm her bed during the nights. And she knew beforehand what Emma wanted of her - money - so the boundaries would be set immediately. She wouldn’t need to worry about any hurt feelings. This was merely a business proposal. “Would you consider spending the week with me?” 

Emma chuckled, revealing her anxiety which in turn, settled Regina’s. “I will pay you to be at my beck and call.”

Emma’s eyes traveled over Regina’s face and down, raked over her body. Regina felt a pleasant shiver run down her spine at the appreciative gaze. “Look, I’d love to be your ‘beck and call’ girl,” she started slowly, “but, um, you’re a rich, very beautiful woman. You could get a million women for free. You don’t need me.”

Regina nodded, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “As you’re soon going to find out, I am a perfectionist. I want a professional,” she told the woman. “I don’t need any romantic… hassles this week.”

Emma looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes from over the deck of foam as she sank a little lower. Her hair curled where it was wet. “If you’re talking twenty-four hours a day… it’s going to cost you.”

Regina smirked. “Oh, yes, of course,” she said, rolling her eyes while in fact, she found Emma’s retort about money quite entertaining. “All right, here we go.” She stood up from the edge of the bathtub, moved to lean against the glass door of the shower cubicle, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Give me a ballpark figure. How much?”

The blonde averted her eyes, and stared into the foam, while clearly making up her mind. “Six full nights… days too…” She looked up, a combination of boldness and defiance in her gaze. “Twelve thousand.”

“Twelve thousand?” Regina sputtered at the unexpected number. “Six nights at 800 dollars is 4800 dollars.”  
  
“Ah, but you want days, too,” Emma reminded her, a twinkle in her eyes, smiling confidently.

“Seven thousand,” Regina countered. She wasn’t a businesswoman for nothing. _With your reputation, you should probably be prepared to pay a shitload of money if you want someone to tolerate you,_ Kathryn lisped, but she forcefully suppressed it. This had nothing to do with her reputation because Emma hardly knew about that, Regina thought.

“Nine thousand.” Emma seemed to enjoy this negotiation.

“Done,” came the immediate answer.

Emma’s eyes grew wide in shock. “Holy shit,” she shrieked, before barking out a laugh, and she slipped below the water surface to scream almost without sound. Almost. The sounds resembled the singing of moments before, Regina thought, but when she stayed under longer than she’d expected, she stepped closer towards the bath.

“Emma?” she inquired, not really sure what was happening and if the woman had really agreed. “Emma, is that a yes?” She stepped closer, leaned over to see in the water, but it was still covered in so much foam that she couldn't see anything.

Emma pulled up her knees, stomping against the bottom of the tub while trying to push herself up again. And when she emerged, she was completely covered in foam. “Yes,” she laughed, coughing when she inhaled some water. “Yes!” 

The delight on Emma’s face was intoxicating, Regina found, and her skin tingled when Emma laughed. She couldn’t help but chuckle in return and straightened her back. “All right,” she said, automatically offering Emma a towel when the woman got ready to stand up. “I have to go to the office and I’ll be gone, most of the day. I want you to buy some clothes. We have dinner tonight, and you’ll have to look impeccable. You’ll need something to wear. I’ll leave some money on the table.”

“Like what?” Emma said, stepping out of the bath, and it took every ounce of Regina’s willpower to keep her eyes on the blonde’s face instead of following the rivulets of water down her body. The bathroom was suddenly much warmer than she’d anticipated, and she took a step back when Emma, oblivious to Regina’s sudden discomfort, wrapped the large towel around her body.

“Nothing too flashy,” Regina replied, voice a little crooked and she scraped her throat. “Not too sexy.” And that wasn’t just because of the people they were going to meet - she needed to be sharp tonight, as well, and Emma… well. If anything, her impulsive offer had told her that Emma was a weakness. A pleasant one, but a weakness, still. “Conservative,” she decided with a nod. 

“So, boring,” Emma retorted with a raised eyebrow, reaching for another towel to wrap around her hair. 

“Elegant,” Regina countered with a pointed look. “Any questions?”  
  
“Yeah,” Emma smirked, eyes flashing with delight, “Can I call you Gina?”

“Not if you don’t want to suffer a slow and painful death,” she huffed annoyed. She turned around to leave the bathroom - she really did need to get to the office. Emma’s grin followed her out.

“You know, I would’ve stayed for seven thousand,” Emma said, eyes bright, Regina saw, as she threw a glance over her shoulder. She looked cute, wrapped in those fluffy towels. Regina narrowed her eyes, lips pulling in a smile.

“I would have paid twelve,” she answered evenly. There was no denying it. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Emma looked stunned for a moment, but then her mouth curved into a lazy smile that formed a lump in Regina’s throat that she was unable to swallow. “I’m going to treat you so nice,” Emma purred, “You’re never gonna want to let me go.” She boldly batted her lashes at Regina.

Regina’s movements stilled as her eyes shot up to Emma’s face. The smug smirk on Emma’s features made her insides twist and turn and the warmth in her stomach immediately returned at the insinuation, but she kept her gaze even. “Nine thousand for six days,” she slowly said, ignoring the quickened pace of her heartbeat, “And Emma, then I will let you go.” Then, she turned and left the room, grabbed her briefcase, and headed out.

And as she pushed the button for the elevator and replayed the morning in her head, reminiscing the outrage she had felt at the dinner table and the fondness she had experienced in the bathroom, she didn’t know if hiring Emma was her best decision ever or maybe her worst. 

Emma was a flickering candle, Regina mused, and she was a moth, drawn to the mesmerizing flame. And even though she knew she was going to get burned, eventually, she couldn’t get away from her, either.

Great. She was already thinking metaphorically, Regina snorted with a roll of her eyes. This was strictly business, she reminded herself. Emma was her employee. She’d be at her beck and call. After six days, she’d let her go. And that would be that. Because Regina Mills didn’t do personal connections. She wasn’t capable of them. Business relations were what she did.

And that’s what she would stick to.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma waited five seconds after the front door closed before launching herself head-first onto the bed and screamed into the pillow. She had expected to leave the hotel by now, 800 dollars in her pocket, and never see Regina again. 

What a sudden twist of events. “9000 dollars!” she cried out, turning over to lie on her back, spreading her arms to the side, blinking at the ceiling. The bed was so big that her hands didn’t even touch the edges of the bed. A whole fucking week! She laughed loudly, her head pounding loudly in anticipation in her chest.

Long ago, she had started to make it a habit to find at least one positive thought per day. Something that happened, something she saw. It was what got her through most of the days. Well, she grinned, today, her day had definitely started out in a positive way. She’d be the… what would she be? Personal assistant? It sounded better - no, more _eloquent_ , to use Regina's words - than a private hooker, anyway. And she wouldn’t even be just that if they were going to attend a dinner tonight in a fancy restaurant. In a boring - no,  _ elegant _ dress. She’d never be beyond anything than diners in either her work clothes or jeans. But she was going to ace this, she promised herself. This job was a fucking lottery ticket.

Emma stared at the ceiling, a strange feeling of anticipation in her belly. It wasn’t going to be easy, she knew. If the outburst at the breakfast table and the bathroom incident from last night were any indication, Regina was easy to combust about all sorts of subjects and quick to make assumptions. It didn’t mean Emma wasn’t going to speak up because she sometimes simply couldn't stop talking and if anxious, she’d say the weirdest things, but also because she liked challenging the woman. Regina definitely wasn’t used to people not agreeing with her, Emma mused. Maybe she needed to be careful. After all, she wasn’t a friend, she was an employee, which meant she could easily be fired.

As if that was going to happen. She snorted. This was the best gig ever, and she wasn’t going to ruin it. She wanted to do her very best to meet Regina’s standards, which she was sure were pretty high. Otherwise, she probably wouldn’t have paid so much, right? Regina had asked for a  _ professional _ and that was exactly what she was going to be. Emma pushed herself up from the bed, determined to do what she was paid for, and buy a boring, but elegant dress.

So she grabbed her clothes - she didn’t bring a change of clothes, of course, so she pulled on her tank top and hotpants and tied her jacket around her waist before pulling her boots on, and grabbed the money that Regina had left for her at the table together with a keycard of the penthouse. Emma snorted. Last night, she’d been working the streets. Now, she held the keycard to a penthouse in her hand. It was hard to believe that she wasn’t dreaming. Her fingers curled around it and pressed hard and it hurt, but the pain taught her that she wasn’t imagining it at all. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she opened the door to leave.

As the elevator brought her down and as she walked out the lobby, she was oblivious to the looks she drew as she was googling where to shop for expensive dresses. “Rodeo Drive it is,” she told herself, starting Google Maps to walk there.

Rodeo Drive wasn’t far from the hotel. She had never been here - never had ample reason to. This is where the rich and mighty shopped, and she usually had no business here. Feeling a little out of place, she walked around with her eyes on stalks as she studied the shop windows to see the sometimes bizarre pieces of clothing. Did people really wear this? Sure, there were some more…  _ elegant _ dresses, too. Emma wasn’t sure she would want to pay this much for something like this because it looked enough like something she’d encounter in any of the places she got her clothes from - to her, the only difference was the designer label. And the price that came with it - Jesus fuck, she didn’t understand why people would pay so much for a simple piece of clothing. But as it was Regina who paid this particular bill, she wasn’t going to question anything. She looked through the shops’ windows, muttered names of designers she never ever heard of, before deciding to enter a charming little boutique somewhere in the middle of Rodeo Drive.

The store was quiet, something she wasn’t used to. The department stores in which she usually got her stuff were always loud - if it weren’t the people, it was the loud music -, there were too many people, and the racks were a mess. 

Not here. There was nobody inside but her and three saleswomen, and she smiled politely at them before moving towards one of the clothing racks, feeling a little uneasy under their eyes. The silence was a little awkward. There weren’t racks and racks of clothes, only a few pieces, a few small racks that hardly contained the same clothes. This was an  _ elegant _ store, Emma all but snorted, as she eyed a blue dress on a mannequin, before moving on.

“Can I help you?” one of the women asked, eyeing her disapprovingly, and Emma flashed her a smile. She was a little wary because of the wrinkled nose of the woman, but Emma wasn’t really offended - she knew how she currently looked and that she looked completely out of place. But she was here to fix that, was she not? However, it wasn’t really customer-friendly.

“I’m just checking things out,” she smiled politely.

“Are you looking for something in particular?” the woman reluctantly offered.

“No - well, yeah, actually,” Emma said. “Something conservative.” She shrugged, her eyes traveling through the store, fixing on a very eloquent dress that she thought would meet Regina’s standards. “How much is this one?” she asked.

“I don’t think this will fit you,” the woman coldly retorted, folding her arms together and pursing her lips in contempt. 

Emma’s brow furrowed. Okay, now she was getting a little irritated. It was one thing to be disapproving, it was another one to be plain-ass rude. “Well. I didn’t ask if it would fit. I asked how much it was,” she told her, a little sharp. She might not belong here, but she didn’t want anyone to talk to her like that.

The woman turned to her colleague. “How much is this, Marie?” she asked her, shooting her colleague a quick look. 

“It’s very expensive,” Marie said haughtily, and the saleswoman next to Emma turned back, with utter contempt on her face. “It’s very expensive,” she repeated. 

It riled Emma up even more. “Look,” she said impatiently, anger flashing in her eyes, “I’ve got money to spend in here.” Her hand already reached for the cash in her purse to show them she really meant business, but Marie looked at her, a blank look on her face. 

“I don’t think we have anything for you,” she said, tone condescending, joining her colleague closest to Emma. The woman's eyes traveled over Emma’s outfit, and she pursed her lips in disdain. “You’re obviously in the wrong place. Please leave.”

Emma was furious. Her eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed and her heartbeat picked up, and she wanted to say something, already opening her mouth to do so, but then the third saleswoman closed ranks with her colleagues. Three against one - an unfair fight, even verbally. There was nothing left to do for Emma than to swallow her pride, to turn and leave the boutique. Punching them in the face was probably not very…  _ conservative _ to do, she bitterly thought when she left and breathed in the air of the streets. 

Funny how her positivity and determination to succeed had completely evaporated by three shit-faced saleswomen with sticks up their asses, but it had. She felt miserable. Watched. Embarrassed to the core.

People were looking at her and not just because she was standing still in the middle of the sidewalk. It wasn’t like they eyed her differently now than they did before, only it suddenly made her feel uneasier than it had in  _ years _ . And while she could usually shrug it off, or sometimes even flirt by winking at the people looking, it now bothered her, it added to her shame. So much that tears started to burn behind her eyes. 

She felt naked and quickly untied her jacket from her waist. Suddenly, the outfit she usually felt very comfortable in, now felt too small, too little, too naked and she was ashamed, wanted to cover herself up. She pulled the lapels of her jacket together as she made her way back to the hotel, her head low in embarrassment, only looking at the floor. All she wanted was to go up to Regina’s room, curl up on the bed and sob the burning shame away. 

But of course, the fucking ordeal wasn’t over yet, she soon discovered after she entered the hotel lobby.    
  
“Excuse me, miss, may I help you?” a demanding voice suddenly sounded right behind her as she strode through the reception area. 

“No. I just want to go to my room,” she said, head bent and arms tightly wrapped around herself, keeping her jacket closed, as she turned her head to look at the woman behind her. She was older, wore her grey hair up in a knot, a few grey wisps of hair escaping it, and carried small, half-round glasses on the tip of her nose. She looked like a grandmother but had a certain confident air around her. As if she fucking owned the place.

“Do you have a key?” this... _Granny_ asked with raised eyebrows, and Emma nodded. 

“Yeah, I should have it in my bag somewhere,” she replied tersely. “I’m on the top floor.”   
  
“You’re a guest here?” The woman narrowed her eyes, tilted her head a little bit. There it was. The disapproving look. And Emma couldn’t take much more of it. Not anymore. She blinked feverishly as she raised her chin.

“I’m with a friend,” Emma stiffly replied, the corners of her mouth now downturned. She refused to cry.

“Who would that be?”

“Regina.”   
  
“Regina?”

“Regina. Regina, uh…” Shit, what was her last name? She’d heard it before, but she forgot. She feverishly searched her brains for something that sounded familiar, as her eyes flashed through the lobby.

The elevator pinged and the bellboy that had brought Regina and herself up yesterday stepped out. “He knows me,” she exclaimed, pointing in his direction. His eyes grew wide, as the older woman briskly stepped towards him and he involuntarily took a step back towards the safety of his elevator. 

“Clark,” Granny sternly said, motioning him to come closer and his gaze shifted anxiously between the woman and Emma, not knowing what to expect. He stepped forward reluctantly. “Clark, did you just come off the night shift?”   
  
“Yes, ma’am,” the man said nervously.

“Do you know this lady?” she asked him while fixing his tie. 

“She’s with Miss Mills,” the man murmured uneasily. Emma’s face relaxed as she felt a surge of relief. 

"That’s it! Regina Mills. Thanks, Clark,” she said, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder, before she moved past him, and took large steps into the elevator, sitting down on the elevator sofa with a loud sigh. She needed this morning to be  _ over. _

No such luck. Apparently, the confirmation of the name wasn't enough for the resolute woman. “Oh God, what now? What?” Emma cried out in frustration as the woman entered the elevator, and grabbed her by the arm, firmly pulling her up. Grandmothers weren’t supposed to be this heavy-handed, but the woman had an unexpectedly tight grip and Emma winced. “What’s with everybody today?!” She was angry and felt humiliated.

The woman eyed her calmly, but her grip wasn’t loosening. “Come with me and have a chat, girl,” she said, leading her out of the elevator, nodding to Clark.

Emma waved her free hand in exasperation. “I’m coming,” she growled defiantly, but went semi-willingly, moving fast enough to avoid Granny to tighten her hold, reluctantly enough to show that she wasn’t happy with being dragged along. 

Her cheeks burned with shame and she kept her gaze on the floor, not wanting to see any other eyes pointed at her, as she was publicly led through the lobby to an office near the front desk. Once the door closed, the woman let her go near a chair and motioned her to sit. Emma let herself collapse in it.

“What’s your name, miss?” the older woman asked her, and Emma glared up. 

"What do you want it to be?” she shot back defiantly.

The woman narrowed her eyes at her over, glared back over the rim of her glasses. “Don’t play games with me, young lady.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Emma,” she answered, as she deflated in her chair.

“Any last name?”

“Swan,” she muttered unwillingly. 

“Thank you, Miss Swan.” The woman smiled down on her. Emma narrowed her eyes. “My name is Eugenia Lucas, the owner of this fine establishment.”

She knew it. The owner. Of course she was.

“So now that the formalities are out of the way,” the woman continued, filling a glass of water and handing it over to Emma, who took it automatically, “I want you to understand things that go on in other hotels don’t happen at the Lucas Beverly Regent.” 

Yeah, Emma snorted. No kidding. “Miss Mills, however, is a very special guest, and we like to think of our special guests as friends,” Mrs. Lucas said. “As a guest, we would expect Miss Mills to sign in any additional guests, but as a friend, we are willing to overlook it.” She leaned against her desk, arm crossed in front of her chest, looked down on Emma over the rim of her glasses. “Now, I’m assuming you are a…” her head lowered, “... relative?”

Emma tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, still upset but not knowing what to expect. “Yes?” she confirmed tentatively.

“I thought so,” Mrs. Lucas replied with a hint of a smirk, and Emma knew right away that it wasn’t, but she wasn’t going to say anything else. “Then you must be her…?” She waited for Emma to fill in the blanks.   


“Niece?” Emma offered with a murmur, because whatever, right? 

“Of course,” Mrs. Lucas readily accepted her answer. The woman wasn’t stupid. She knew exactly what Emma was. “Naturally, when Miss Mills leaves, I won’t see you in this hotel again,” she continued with an even voice. “I assume you have no other… aunts here?”

Emma rolled her eyes at that inquiry and shook her head.    
  
“Good! Then we understand each other. I encourage you to dress more appropriately, though. That will be all.” Mrs. Lucas waved at the door before she walked towards it to help Emma leave. 

“That’s  _ not _ all,” Emma cried out in frustration, and it made Mrs. Lucas turn her head back towards her, eyebrows raised because of Emma’s outburst. Emma felt like she was drowning, caught in a vortex she couldn’t get out of. Tears sprung to her eyes and this time, she was unable to stop them from leaking. “Because that's what I was trying to  _ do,  _ to fucking dress properly.” She abruptly plunged her hands into her bag and grabbed a handful of dollar bills with her trembling hands. “I tried to get a dress on Rodeo Drive today and the women wouldn’t help me. They were awful.” She yanked the notes out of her purse, and she pushed them in Mrs. Lucas’ hands before roughly rubbing her face. “I have all this money and no dress. I really tried! I have all of this and I have to buy a dress for dinner tonight. I  _ know _ I can’t show up like this but  _ how  _ am I going to buy something  _ elegant _ . I don’t expect you to help but  _ how _ can I dress  _ properly  _ if nobody wants to sell me  _ anything? _ ” Along with the anger, panic emerged. What if she wasn’t going to find a dress? She didn’t want to disappoint Regina and couldn’t show up looking like this. Her breath accelerated from anxiety.

Quietly, Mrs. Lucas handed the money back. She turned to the table and grabbed a tissue, which she offered Emma. Emma pushed the bills back in her purse and hid her face in the tissue, while the woman started to move away from her.

As she looked up seconds later, she saw Mrs. Lucas was standing at the other side of the desk, looking at her intently, before grabbing the phone. Emma scoffed and rolled her red-rimmed eyes. What was she going to do? With her luck today, she’d probably be calling the cops on her. She pushed the money back in her back and shot up. She wasn’t going to do this. She didn’t want more humiliation today. Enough was enough. Taking a step to the door she heard the woman’s voice behind her.

“Wait a moment, dear,” she told Emma before she turned to the person at the other side of the line. “Women’s clothing? Hi, can you find Aurora for me?”

Emma halted. Threw a wary look over her shoulder but stopped her exit, fingers digging in her purse as she frowned. That definitely didn’t sound like she was calling the police. Mrs. Lucas held her gaze as she continued her phone call. “Yes, Aurora, hello! This is Eugenia Lucas at the Lucas Beverly Re- Yes!” She smiled fondly as she listened to the person at the other side of the line. “Thank you! Yes, it’s been a while,” she said chipperly. “Listen, I’d like a favor from you, please? I’m sending someone over. Her name is Emma Swan. She’s a special guest. She’s the  _ niece  _ of a very special guest. She’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Yes. Yes, thank you so much. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Mrs. Lucas ended the call and put the phone back on the desk. Emma’s jaw fell open. “Why did you do that?” she said with a disbelieving frown, pulling her jacket close to mask her insecurity, eyeing the woman warily.

The manager smiled. “As I said, Miss Swan, our special guests are our friends. We keep our friends happy.” Of course, that was all that was. Mrs. Lucas scribbled down an address and moved to Emma to give it to her. Emma accepted it automatically. “This is down this block. Turn right upon leaving the hotel. If there’s anything else I can help you with, let me know.” She motioned at the door again, and not being able to wrap her head about what just happened, Emma left the office with a furrowed brow. 

What a strange turn of events. Her fingers played with the note and for a moment, she hesitated and turned around, finding the hotel manager watching her intently. Emma swallowed anxiously but lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders, and strode out of the hotel, turning right.

~*~

Regina ran her hand through her hair as some of her board members started to freak out and she calmly poured a glass of water for herself. Under the circumstances, she felt extremely peaceful. How unlike her at all. Victor easily took over her normal role.

“How is this possible?!” Victor yelled at one of the team members, who flushed heavily. They had just been watching a drone recording of the Los Angeles construction sites of Geppetto Industry, during which Victor talked about leveling the area and to sell it off, when a secretary had come in, with the news that Geppetto had received a government contract, basically destroying everything they had worked for months for. “I thought you said they had nothing in the hopper!”

“If this is true, this is going to cost a lot more. Their stock might go through the roof!” one of the lawyers at the table nervously said.

“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock,” Victor snapped at him. 

The man turned to Regina, who calmly assessed the room. As the secretary had rushed in and had updated them, she had stood up and walked to the window, the radars in her mind working overtime while sipping her water. “Maybe we’re lucky to get this information now, Miss Mills,” he tentatively said, familiar with her outbursts. “We can still walk away.”   
  
“Walk away?” Victor exploded. “How can you even - Forget that! We’ve got a thousand man-hours on this. Nobody’s walking away from anything!”

Her eyes shifted from the lawyer to Victor, and then to the man opening his mouth at the other side of the table. “What if he’s right?” the man chipped in, his eyes nervously shifting between Regina and Victor.

“Forget it. I don’t want to hear it!” the attorney snapped back, and when their voices raised in anger, Regina stepped towards the table. 

“Gentlemen. Relax,” she quietly said, and everyone shut up at once. A shouting Regina was one thing, but a quiet one was the one they were really impressed with. A quiet Regina meant a volcano eruption, or a solution to their now pressing problem. 

She narrowed her eyes. Victor was right. Someone should’ve caught this. The incapable moron who had assumed Geppetto was on the verge of bankruptcy hadn’t done his job very well and would suffer some consequences, but right now, they would have to get ahead of Geppetto again. Regina knew exactly how - she wasn’t averse to dirty deals if it would get her what she wanted. “These government contracts have to be approved by the Senate Appropriation Committee. Who do we know there?” she asked in general. 

“Senator Gold,” Whale said, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Gold. Find out where he is. They’re not going to spend money on anything without going through Appropriations first.” She turned and started to gather her papers in her briefcase. 

“What the hell is going on here today?” Victor anxiously barked at the rest of the people around the table, who shifted nervously in their seats. “And why aren’t you more nervous?” he snapped accusingly at Regina while whirling around to face her. She looked up, arched an eyebrow as she held his haze. He had overstepped and he knew it, and he averted his gaze immediately, shoulders tensing. She allowed him some leniency because he _had_ put in many, many hours in this particular project, but he was never to forget who was the boss in this company.

“I hired you to do the worrying for me,” she told him with a tiny smirk on her face, closing her briefcase. “I’ll be in your office.”

“Regina, wait,” Victor said, hurrying after her and reaching her just before she stepped through the door to leave the conference room, and she threw a glance over her shoulder. “Everything’s all set for the meeting tonight?” he asked anxiously, hands wringing. “It’s now more important than ever.”

“Of course it is,” Regina answered sharply now, narrowing her eyes. Victor was a great attorney. She needed him to do this work, but he acted like he owned the place and she would let him until a certain level, but he wasn’t going to intrude in business dinners or her personal life. In the end, she had been the one to build this company and he’d assisted, but he needed to get back in line.

“Who are you going with?” he pressed.

“Victor, that’s none of your damn business, and you’d be wise to remember that.” And with that, she closed the door behind her, ignoring the flash of frustration on Victor Whale’s face. She'd deal with him later.

Truth be told, this was a huge setback for their acquisition plans. If they failed to stop the approval in the Appropriations Committee, they would never be able to close the deal this week. A lot of man-hours would be wasted - it would be a costly delay. Normally, she would have been furious. 

But for the first time in years, she felt less anxious about a setback than she would have before. And she knew that it had everything to do with a certain blonde she had given access to her penthouse - to whom her thoughts had wandered on a few occasions this day. She sunk in the desk chair and opened her laptop, but couldn’t really focus. Instead, she eyed her cellphone, which was laying next to her laptop on the table. Her fingers drummed close to it. She tried to focus on the laptop screen, but her eyes wandered to the phone again. It taunted her. Invited her to make the phone call.

Emma was a craving. An addiction. Even with half the city between them, Regina felt a pull. Since this only lasted for six days, and since she actually  _ paid  _ Emma to be at her beck and call, it wasn’t really weird to call, right? Besides, she told herself, Emma needed to know when to be ready. 

She sighed impatiently and grabbed her phone, called the hotel, and requested to be put through to the penthouse.

The phone only rang twice before Emma picked up. “Hello?” she said, voice bright and a little breathless. Damn it, Regina thought, crossing her legs, feeling a little flustered about her body’s response to that single word.

“Never pick up the phone if you don't know who it is,” she told her, but the annoyance was more about her own response to Emma’s voice than anything else.

“Then why are you calling me?” Emma countered, immediately recognizing her voice. "You're the only one who knows I'm here, why would it be anyone else?"  


“Did you buy clothes today?” Regina asked, ignoring Emma's last words. She was relentless in forcing her body back under control.

“I bought a dress today,” Emma replied, a hint of happiness and relief in her voice. “A cocktail one. Shoes, too.”

“Good,” Regina said, a knot of anticipation in her stomach. “Meet me at 6.45 sharp in the hotel lobby.”

“Oh! You’re not coming to the door to pick me up?” Emma retorted playfully. Regina blinked. Was she flirting with her? She finally had suppressed the first wave of physicalities and now this - suddenly she felt a little out of breath and her face flushed, and it annoyed the crap out of her that she couldn’t keep herself more collected.

“This isn’t a date,” she snapped, “It’s business.” The words weren’t just directed to Emma, but to herself, as well. She needed the reminder, and she needed to keep that in her thoughts at all times. They were meeting Marco Geppetto and his son and that was that. 

“Where are you taking me?” Emma asked then, the shrug evident in her voice. It was amazing how Emma just let her snappy remarks go by and she answered automatically.

“I’m taking you to a restaurant called ‘The Voltaire’,” Regina said, “Very elegant.” There was a warning in her voice.

“All right,” the blonde said. “I’ll meet you in the lobby, but only because you’re paying me.” There was a hint of a smile in her voice and Regina felt her own lips curl in response. 

Damnit.

“Well, thank you  _ very  _ much,” Regina snorted before she hung up. She stared at her phone, shook her head, and leaned back, exhaling slowly. The effect Emma had on her was ridiculous! She scoffed. 

A soft knock on her door announced her secretary. “Mister Whale wanted to see you,” the woman said, and Regina waved her away as she pressed the call button again. 

“Yes. Tell him I’m in the middle of a very important phone call,” she replied. “I’ll be right out.” The woman closed the door again.

“Hello?” the familiar voice at the other side of the line sounded.

“I told you not to pick up the phone,” Regina told her sternly, and Emma laughed. 

“Then stop calling me,” she retorted. “Wait, maybe I should give you my mobile number so you can bother me there. At least, I'll _always_ know when it's you because I can see how it really worries you." God damnit, the woman was mocking her. Regina snorted. "You got a pen?” Emma asked.

“Very well,” Regina said and punched in the number on her phone immediately as Emma gave her the number. It wasn’t her plan to ask her for it, but it felt like something personal and suddenly she craved that in all the impersonal madness of her office life. Regina Mills didn’t do personal, she reminded herself, but it felt lame. Too little, too late. “Thank you.”

“Now, I’ve got work to do - I need to be at my best and beauty takes time - well. Mine does,” Emma added, “Yours is super-effortless. I’m jealous. Anyway.” She sounded a little awkward now. A little out of breath. “I will see you tonight. Bye!”   
  
This time, Emma ended the call and when Regina lowered her phone, she found herself sitting in her chair, her cheeks a little pink and warm of the easy compliment Emma had off-handedly given her. Quickly clearing her throat, she pushed herself up and suppressed her emotions relentlessly while gathering her things. She needed to go back to the conference room she had just left. Back to the lion’s den. She needed to focus on a failing deal now, call the senator to ask a favor, and prepare the conversation she and Geppetto were going to have to have tonight. She looked at herself in the mirror. Cool and collected. 

She couldn’t be distracted now, she told herself. And with a final nod at herself, she left the office, focusing on the problem at hand.

~*~

Emma was late. She was always late, but this time it really wasn’t her fault. After googling the hotel Regina had mentioned she had nearly hyperventilated. The menu didn’t contain any prices but the images of the tables set with all kinds of cutlery had made her heart pound in her throat and had the cold sweat running over her back. She didn’t know any of the food, didn’t know why any restaurant had more than one set of cutlery, let alone three like the ones on the images and she needed help. And hadn’t Eugenia said she could ask anything?

So, she had gone downstairs. “Eugenia,” she hissed, taking her away from another hotel guest who clicked her tongue disapprovingly, “I have a problem.”   
  
“You didn’t find a dress?” Eugenia Lucas lifted an eyebrow at the use of her first name but wasn’t correcting her either. And Emma figured that since she’d helped her on her personal account, she wouldn’t mind. 

“Oh yes, I did,” she’d replied hastily, “And shoes, too. Thanks. Aurora was really sweet.”   
  
“Well, I’d hoped you’d be wearing it then,” she said with a frown, looking at Emma’s cropped tank top and hotpants, but Emma waved it away quickly. That really wasn’t the pressing matter here. 

“I have another problem.” And she’d stuttered in embarrassment when confessing that she didn’t know anything about eating in fancy restaurants and could Eugenia please, please tell her what everything was? She showed her the picture on the phone. “I don’t know what to do and it’s an important dinner and-”   
  
“I’ll help you,” the woman said, raising her hands to stop the word flood. And she had. She had talked about etiquette, about behavior, about not slouching and elbows off the table and had taught her about the diversity of cutlery in upper-class restaurants until Emma couldn’t think anymore and by then, she only had an hour left to shower, dress, do her hair and her make-up.

So she was ten minutes late and instinctively knew that Regina would hate it - Regina was a woman who probably kept punctuality in high regard. She nearly fell out of the elevator, almost bumping into the hotel manager. “Ah, Miss Swan,” she said, a smile on her face which grew wider upon seeing the figure-hugging black cocktail dress. “Miss Mills is already waiting for you. If you just stay here, I’ll get her.” And before Emma could say anything, she had disappeared and Emma stood still, waiting, wringing with her hands in anxiety.

And she didn’t know if it was the nerves that heightened her senses, but she could hear Regina’s voice coming out of the lounge, saying something to  _ probably  _ Eugenia, she figured, until she strode out of the lounge and into the lobby and froze in her spot when she saw Emma, causing Eugenia to nearly crash into her, and then, the manager flashed her a smile and quickly slipped away.

Regina blinked, tilted her head a little and took a step closer. Their eyes met briefly until Regina’s burning gaze slowly traveled over the dress, which, albeit sexy, covered more of her body than her previous outfit had - it left her shoulders bare, showed some cleavage but in a socially accepted way, and reached till just above her knee. Impossibly high heels, matching Regina’s, and long black gloves completed the outfit. She had pulled her blond hair out of her face, only leaving a few curly bangs, and the rest of her hair fell on her back like a waterfall. She’d kept her make-up neutral but included her signature eyeliner but when Regina didn’t say anything and just stared, it made Emma more anxious. Wasn’t this okay? She felt very self-aware. Her fingers twitched together in front of her belly.

“You’re late,” Regina said, but she smiled and she took a few steps forward, eyes raking over Emma’s figure appreciatively. Emma exhaled in relief. “And stunning.” 

“Is this okay?” Emma muttered a little flustered, feeling incredibly out of place. “It’s nothing I usually wear-”   
  
“It’s perfect,” Regina hummed in approval, softly placing a hand in the small of Emma’s back. Her thumb seemed to rub over it, causing a tiny shiver to run over Emma’s spine. “Shall we?”   
  
Emma nodded and threw a sideways glance. Regina’s hair was the same - styled straight till just above her shoulders, but she had changed into a formal navy dress and carried a purse that was probably worth more than her complete outfit. “Where did you change?”

“Work,” Regina said with a smirk, as she guided Emma outside towards the waiting limo. “I always have spare clothes there.”

“These are your spare clothes?” Emma hissed. “What else do you have on spare? Gala outfits? Armani suits?”   
  
“Among other things. I’m always prepared,” Regina said with a small smile, while they waited for their driver, Gus, to open the door. No shit, Emma thought. You probably didn’t get as far as Regina did without always being prepared for… well, something.

Gus opened the door and Regina motioned Emma to step in first before she slipped in next to her. Gus closed the door and it was suddenly silent inside - no more noises from the hotel and the streets filtered in. Emma breathed out softly.

“I had the strangest conversation with Mrs. Lucas just now,” Regina slowly said as the limo started moving, turning her head to face Emma. “She said my  _ niece, _ Miss Swan, was waiting. I thought it a little peculiar because while I do have a sister, she’s only a little older than I am and can’t possibly have a daughter of age. And besides, my sister’s name is Mills, too. Not Swan.”

Emma snorted nervously. “Peculiar, indeed.” Fingers started to twist again in her lap.

“Care to share?”

“Not really. Let’s just say… Eugenia and I came to an understanding and she helped me.” She smiled sheepishly.    
  
“You’re on a first-name basis already? You must’ve had an interesting day, dear,” Regina said. 

“To say the least,” Emma replied vaguely, “How was yours?”

“Boring work stuff,” Regina replied with an impatient wave of her hand. She seemed lost in thought but then said, “I didn’t realize I hadn’t asked your last name. Swan… suits you.”

Emma blushed. “Thanks, I guess? To be fair, I forgot yours, too. Eugenia reminded me today.”   
  
They shared a smile which warmed Emma’s belly - she was kind of getting used to her physical response to Regina -, before they both stared out of the window. The rest of the trip was done in relative silence. Emma tried to keep her cool, but the closer they got to the restaurant, the more nervous she was getting. She’d already forgotten half of Eugenia’s explanation about the table setting and worried that she would mess this up. Regina hadn’t told her anything else but that they would have dinner. Add the fact that for some reason, the dress Regina wore was one she couldn’t keep her eyes off from - or well, honestly, it was the woman wearing it - 

Let's face it, Emma was a complete wreck.

She folded her hands in her lap to stop the fidgeting, only resulting in her foot starting to tap softly and heart racing while trying to think about boring things, like bills she still had to pay (and finally could, at the end of this week) but it was to no avail. Her knee started to bounce a little, too - Emma had never been one to handle stress very well.

“Stop fidgeting,” Regina softly said, touching Emma’s knee. Emma froze at the touch. 

“I’m just nervous. What if I let you down?”   
  
“You won’t,” Regina confidently said. “Geppetto will love you, I’m sure.” Regina trusted her more than she did herself, which didn’t do anything to soothe her stressed-out mind. Emma looked out the window as the car slowed down and Regina said, “We’re here. No time to fuss, dear.”

Oh, there was still plenty of time to fuss. Emma brought her hand to her mouth, but as it was gloved, there was no way to bite on her nails. Gus-the-driver got out and walked around the car. He opened the door for them and gracefully, Regina slid out, leaving Emma no other option than to follow. Which she did - she barely stumbled on her heels and for that, she was grateful. “We’ll call you when we’re done,” she heard Regina tell Gus, and then, there was a confident hand in the small of her back, leading her inside an impressive building that radiated obnoxious wealth. Shit. Think positive things, she reminded herself. But it was hard, so hard when you felt so immensely out of place.

“People are staring,” Emma murmured. She was used to that when she was in her usual habitat and could care less when it happened. Here, for some reason, it was all different. 

“They know who I am, dear,” Regina said, not impressed. “They are always staring. And probably wondering how a cold-hearted bitch like myself could land such a pretty woman like you.” She flashed Emma a smile that almost reached her eyes.

That comment was so absurd that for a moment, Emma forgot to be nervous. “You’re many things, but cold-hearted is not one of them.”

“Let’s see if you still believe that at the end of this evening,” Regina retorted fatalistically before a shadow of a smile ran over her face. It wasn’t a happy one. “And stop fidgeting.”

Emma folded her hands together to stop as the maitre d’ led them to their table. 

“Mister Geppetto,” Regina said when they arrived, politely nodding at the older man. The man got up, as did the younger man present. Emma immediately recognized it as the name of the company Regina had mentioned in her phone calls last night. Great. Not only was she having a business dinner, but she was also having one with two CEOs and someone else. She swallowed thickly as the man extended a hand to Regina.

“Yes, Miss Mills. I am Marco Geppetto,” the man replied as Regina shook his hand. He spoke with an accent like he was from abroad. Emma had had enough foreign tourists as customers to recognize the accent as Italian. He was older, balding, and a greyish-white mustache and beard, dressed in a formal, dark grey suit. But what stood out the most were his kind, brown eyes - for a CEO, he wasn’t very formal and cold and nothing like Regina, she thought with some guilt. “And this charming gentleman is August, my son.”

The man stood up. He was handsome, Emma saw, in a rough kind of way. He had inherited his eyes from his father. “I’m not sure about the charming part, but son is true enough,” he smiled at them. His gaze was a little wary when he, too, shook Regina’s hand.    
  
“Pleased to meet you both,” Regina formally said. “This is a friend, Emma Swan.”

“Hi,” Emma said, a little shy, but she smiled as August took her hand and bowed slightly before Mr. Geppetto took her hand and kissed it. She was weirded out by the gallant gesture and smiled a little nervously.

“I’m glad to meet you,” he said with a wink and Emma’s smile grew wider as she saw the twinkle in his eyes. It was as if he was trying to soothe her nerves. And it was working. He looked like a grandfather. Not someone who owned a huge-ass company.

“Likewise,” Emma hummed, suddenly a little more confident and less nervous, as the maitre d’ pulled her chair back. And when Regina asked her if Emma wanted her to order for her, she nodded quickly. They were in a French restaurant and with a French menu she didn’t understand, she would have to ask for translations of every course. She wanted to save Regina the embarrassment. 

When Mr. Geppetto and Regina fell into a conversation about the possible acquisition, August observed her quietly. It made her a little uncomfortable, and of course, it made her say something stupid.

“So, if your last name is Geppetto, were you bullied a lot as a kid?” she asked him, vaguely aware that the other conversation halted as she spoke up. Oh. Shit.

“Why do you think that?” August retorted amused, and Emma felt how her face flushed a little.

“Well, you know,” she offered a little reluctantly, “With being the son of Mr. Geppetto… Pinocchio?” She waved a helpless hand.

Marco Geppetto laughed heartily and August seemed to be more surprised than offended. “Where did you find this precious gem, Miss Mills?” he asked the brunette, who offered a stiff smile. 

“A woman never gives up her secrets,” she quipped. Emma’s eyes flicked to her and noticed Regina was actually a little amused by both her question and Mr. Geppetto’s response. For some reason, that was a relief.

“I wasn’t,” August replied to Emma’s question, his eyes crinkling as if he was about to smile, “Well, I was once. And then I fought him, won majestically, and that was that.” He winked and Emma felt how her cheeks reddened even more. She shot him a small smile and focused on her plate - the first course had just been served, not daring to look at Regina. 

And then, she frowned, as she looked at what was on her plate as the conversation about the company continued, her remark all but forgotten. “My father believes the one who creates a company should control its destiny,” August picked up the conversation where it left off and Regina scoffed. 

“I never thought you’d be the one to believe in fairy tales,” she countered. 

August returned her gaze unfazed. “Let me put it another way,” he calmly said, “Between your public statements and the rumors flying around, we find it very hard to figure out what your true intentions are.”

Meanwhile, Emma’s gaze flashed between what was on her plate and the forks next to her plate as she picked up one, put it down, and then picked up another. Eugenia had helped her, but this food wasn’t close to the salad she had been expecting. The only fork she remembered was the salad fork and though there were  _ some _ leaves carefully laid down at the plate, it was hardly the main thing. They were small pieces of bread, each with a different topping and a few garnishes and she was at a complete loss. Hesitating, her fingers hovered over the cutlery, picking up one first, then laying it down, before picking up the next. Would it really matter which one she’d pick?

“I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to figure out what goes with what,” Mr. Geppetto said in a soft, almost conspiring tone. She looked up, unsure, and he smiled at her. Then, he picked up one of the pieces of bread with his fingers, put some of the garnish on it, raised it as if he was bringing a toast with a toast, and stuffed it into his mouth. He winked at her when he picked up the next one and overcome with relief, Emma chuckled before mimicking his movement, taking a small bite of the bread. It was the fluffiest bread she had ever tasted and she suppressed a moan, but she wasn’t able to hide her delight from Mr. Geppetto. He winked at her, and she relaxed instantly.

The first course passed on uneventful save for the bickering between Regina and August. August was quick to anger, Regina was sharp and collected but mastered her sarcasm to perfection. Emma hadn’t seen or heard her like this before. It was a whole different side of her and she was both intrigued and a little scared of her.

“At one time we built skyscrapers reaching the sky,” August lamented, “Men like my father  _ made  _ this country.” 

Again, Emma frowned at her plate, as the next course was being served.    
  
“These are escargot,” Regina told her with an amused smile, ignoring August's complaints. “It’s French, for snails. It’s a delicacy. Try it.” She turned back to August, motioning him to continue as if he’d been waiting for it. He looked very annoyed.

“If you were to get control,” August said, a little irritated now, “and I don’t think you will, but if you did, what do you plan to do with the company?”

Emma stared at her plate, wondering if she should share the fact that snails could sleep up to three years, and oh God, these were actually dead, right? Did they cook them? She flashed a glance over the table, before she poked one, quickly looking around if anyone saw. She sighed. No one had, but she still wasn’t convinced that this was edible in the first place. God, she longed for a burger. Or a grilled cheese would be fine, too, but she doubted if they had anything like that here. A French restaurant might have croissants, though? Well, fat chance she was going to get any, so she peeked at Regina, who had picked up the pair of tongs that had come with the serving of the escargot.

“Break it up and sell off the pieces,” Regina answered, face void of emotions. Emma noticed the expression because she was silently pleading to help as she played with the pair of tongs, but Regina held her cool gaze directed at the man next to her. She fidgeted with them as Geppetto, who had held himself out of the conversation most of the time, now broke in with a concerned voice.

“I’m sure you’ll understand that I’m not thrilled at the idea of your turning 40 years of my work into your garage sale.” Meanwhile, Emma had figured out how the pair of tongs worked and clumsily tried to grab one of the snails of her plate. Why someone wanted to eat this was beyond her and she was unsure if she’d like what she tasted but she could always flush it down her throat with the very fine wine next to her plate.

“At the price I’m paying for this stock,” Regina told him, “You’re going to be a very rich man.”   
  
“I’m rich enough,” Mr. Geppetto answered a little more agitated than before, “I just want to have my construction company.” Emma firmly closed the tongs on her escargot.

“I can appreciate that,” Regina answered, “but the situation is as it is.” Emma squeezed a little too tight, apparently, because when she squeezed it was launched catapult-like into the direction of a waiter, who caught it easily, the wide smile never leaving his face.

Emma’s face flushed, she smiled small. “Slippery little suckers,” she muttered embarrassed, but the waiter reassured her that it happened all the time. In any case, it had broken the sudden tension at the table. Mr. Geppetto eyed her sympathetically and Regina raised an eyebrow at her, but at least she didn’t look annoyed. Vaguely… relieved, even? It was hard to say in the dimmed light, but Emma flashed them both a smile back. They now focused on the food in front of them and relieved, Emma could now see how the others did it. She didn’t care much for the food.

The conversation was quite uneventful for the remainder of the dinner, but Emma immediately felt how Regina tensed when Mr. Geppetto changed the subject as dessert was served. Ice Cream and cake, thank goodness, Emma thought. Finally something she knew and she dove in right away. “I met your mother,” the old man suddenly said. “What’s her name again?”   
  
“Cora,” Regina said stiffly. Emma raised her eyes. Something in Regina’s tone was off.   
  
“Yes,” Mr. Geppetto said, “Cora Mills. She’s not quite the evil raging bitch everyone says she is.” He smiled at her.

“No,” Regina replied with a tight smirk, “I believe I have the franchise on that.”   
  
Geppetto scoffed. “Does that make her proud?” he retorted swiftly.

“Nobody knows. It doesn’t really matter now. She passed away,” she said tersely.

“I hadn’t heard. I’m sorry,” Mr. Geppetto offered his genuine sympathy, and when Emma looked up in surprise, she saw that the warm compassion in his eyes had returned. Even if they were diametrically opposed, business-wise, the man was a people person. Even a Regina person, obviously.

“I’m sorry too,” Emma murmured, a little worried for her. Regina’s eyes flicked her way before settling on Mr. Geppetto again. Regina, who’d held her cool during the entire evening, was tense. Emma knew the look on her face. She’d held the same look right before she had snapped at Emma, this morning at the breakfast table, and Emma held her breath.

“Mr. Geppetto, you asked for this meeting,” Regina said, more impatient and colder than before. “What can I do for you?” Well, at least she didn’t snap, Emma thought. That was good.   
  
“Leave my company alone,” the man retorted immediately. He sounded a little pained. As if he wanted to get it out there, but knew he couldn’t stop it. 

“I can’t do that,” Regina answered. “I own ten million shares.” She leaned back, knowing she was on solid ground again. Emma’s eyes flashed between the woman and the older man. Even she could recognize a stand-off that he was about to lose. 

“I’ll buy your stock back.” Geppetto was clearly agitated, while Regina held her cool posture.

“You don’t have the money,” she simply stated.

“We will,” August got in between. “We’re getting a governmental contract.”

“There will be no contract,” Regina said with a small smile. “It is now buried in the Appropriation Committee, and it will remain there.”

A shocked silence settled over the table as Mr. Geppetto’s hands fell silent and August’s face started to swell like a red balloon. Emma tilted her head and shuffled, anxious and fascinated at the same time. She had no idea what an Appropriation Committee was, but it was probably very bad. For them.

“And how the hell did you pull something like that? What do you got…” He didn’t finish his question, threw his napkin on his plate, outrage written all over his features. “You got dirty politicians in your pockets now?”

“Easy, easy. Calm down, August,” Mr. Geppetto told his son, while Regina simply stared at him with a blank, cold expression. “Miss Mills plays hardball.” Emma’s eyes shifted between the two parties, a little anxious.

“Indeed I do,” Regina said. The woman was almost purring, Emma noticed. She looked like a cat who’d just caught a bird. She was… _toying_ with them before she’d finish them off. 

“I’ve heard enough of this,” August said, livid, before he threw his napkin on his plate. “Emma, it was a great pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry, I need to get some air. Miss Mills,” he said stiffly, before getting up. Regina nodded in a semi-polite way and Mr. Geppetto sighed deeply.

“I’d better join my son,” he said. There was a sad, frustrated frown on his face and Emma felt horribly guilty, even though she hadn’t been a part in the latter part of the conversation. “You two enjoy the rest of your dinner. I’m sure it’ll be delicious.” He nodded at Emma. “Good luck, miss,” he said, rounding the table, and then stopped at Regina’s chair, who had stood up to see him off.

“Watch out, Mills,” he said, voice low and accent thicker than it had been before. “I’m going to tear you apart.”

Regina’s smile was almost victorious. “I look forward to it, sir,” she purred. Regina had been right, Emma thought. She _was_ cold-hearted, unlike anyone Emma had ever encountered. And she had encountered _many_ different people. It intrigued her, but she also wondered if it was a farce - a mask, hold up to perfection. Because when the men left, Regina's face fell - it was only a fraction of a second and if Emma had blinked the wrong way, she wouldn’t have noticed at all. Regina quietly sat down and appeared lost in thought, while taking a few bites from her dessert. It didn’t take long for her to call for the bill.

Emma tried to remember what had happened in the final part of the conversation, which had started with Mr. Gepetto mentioning Regina’s mother. She mulled over it when Gus picked them up and drove them back to the hotel. She pondered over Regina’s irritation and her outright cold demeanor when simply declaring she would split the company and sell its part. And when they were in the elevator up to the penthouse, she was wondering why Regina hadn’t said a word after they left the restaurant.

Regina opened the door to the penthouse and without waiting for Emma, she went in. With a simple shake of her head, Emma followed. She wondered if she should say anything. Or do anything. She was there at Regina’s beck and call and Regina hadn’t called for anything. She pulled off her shoes - great, there was a blister on her toe - and slipped into the more comfortable soft moccasins, courtesy of the hotel. 

And then she decided, the hell with it. It probably wasn’t her place, but she still had to stay in the same penthouse and this eerie silence was killing her. She was never good with silences and needed to fill them up. Another occupational hazard, she shrugged.

“Regina?” she called out, moving into the living room. There wasn’t any answer, but she saw Regina right away, sitting on the threshold of the balcony. “I thought you said you never came out here,” she said with a small smile, stepping on the balcony herself.

The corners of Regina’s mouth pulled up a little as she looked up to meet Emma’s gaze. “Well, I’m only halfway out,” she replied a little absentmindedly, before staring into the distance again.

“You didn’t say anything on our way home,” Emma said, looking at her as she stepped onto the balcony. She never had been one for small talk. “Are you thinking about dinner?” Regina averted her eyes. “I was a maniac,” Emma continued, voice disbelieving but a laugh evident in it. “That snail? Ugh.” It didn’t even draw a smile from Regina. Emma’s smile dimmed. “I mean, the business was good, I think? He’s in trouble. You want his company.” She moved to the balcony banister, pushed herself up to sit on one of the pillars on the corner. “He doesn’t want to let it go.”   
  
“Yes, dear, thank you for the recap,” Regina sniped as Emma crossed her legs. Now that movement at least drew Regina’s eyes at her. 

“Problem is,” Emma continued, making a wild guess - no, not so wild because despite her antics, she had observed the dinner party in between and Emma was pretty good at reading people and had drawn a few conclusion after analyzing the evening in detail, “I think you like Mr. Geppetto.”

“What I would like is for you to get down from there,” Regina snapped, waving her hand and clearly ignoring her guess about Geppetto. “You’re making me nervous. Please come down.”

Emma raised her eyebrows. “This makes you nervous?” she said, eyes shimmering, and she leaned a little backward. “What if I leaned back like this? Would you rescue me if I fell?”

“Emma, I’m serious. I’m not looking.” Regina turned her head away, lips pursed together.

“It’s really high,” Emma said, letting her hands go and waving them up in the air. “Look, no hands. No hands! Okay, alright, I’m sorry,” she gave in as she saw agitation and irritation flash over Regina’s face, and up straight again, fingers curled around the pillar’s edge once more. The silence that followed was heavy, only broken by Regina’s impatient sigh.

“The truth is,” Regina said glumly, “is that it is really irrelevant whether I like this man or not. I will not let myself become emotionally involved in business.”

Emma could relate and hummed in agreement. “I know everything about not becoming emotionally involved. That’s why no kissing. It’s too personal.” Regina narrowed her eyes and nodded slowly, just once. Her brown eyes settled on Emma’s face with an intensity that made Emma shift and of course, she started to babble nervously. “It’s like what you’re saying,” Emma added, “Stay numb. Don’t get involved. When I’m with someone I just... I’m like a robot, you know? I just  _ do  _ it.”

A silence followed as Emma realized what she’d just said and she felt her face flush. Regina observed her quietly, a ghost of a smirk around her mouth, eyeing her thoughtfully. Emma sighed, rolled with her eyes, and hastily added, “I mean, except with you, of course.” Wearing your tongue on your sleeve wasn't always swell, Emma cringed.   
  
“Of course, not with me,” Regina huffed, sarcasm evident in her voice, as she turned her gaze away. Ouch. Something in Emma’s chest contracted as Regina continued. “You and I, Emma… we’re such similar creatures,” the brunette murmured, before looking up to meet her eyes. But before Emma could ask what she meant by that, Regina added, “We’re both screwing people for money.”

Another silence fell, this one a little heavier, more uncomfortable than the last one. Regina's words stung. Emma exhaled soundlessly. Nine thousand dollars told her to swallow her pride and she decided to ignore the words and changed the subject.    
  
“I’m sorry to hear about your mom,” she offered. “When did she die?”

A hint of surprise flashed in Regina’s eyes before her gaze went even again. “Last month,” she replied in a tone that told Emma it wasn’t a subject that Regina wasn’t willing to elaborate on. But when had that stopped her before? “Do you miss her?”

Regina turned her eyes away from Emma and stared out over the city. “I hadn’t spoken to her in over ten years,” she said after a little while. “I wasn’t there when she died. And I haven't attended her funeral.” 

“Okay.” Emma tilted her head, saw the warning on Regina’s face. “I can see you don’t want to talk about this.”   
  
“No. I don’t,” Regina curtly said in a tone the conversation was over. 

“Fine. I have an idea.” Emma jumped off the balustrade and squatted down next to Regina, who had followed her with her brown eyes and now looked down at the blonde. Emma folded her hands over Regina's knee. “Let’s watch villain's movies all night. We’ll drag some tapestries or even a mattress in front of the tv and get drunk and pass out.” And she knew Regina was interested. She saw it in her eyes, noticed the longing, but the flicker in Regina’s dark eyes died before she could latch onto it.

“I’ll tell you what,” Regina then said, a soft sigh escaping her lips, “I’ll be back. We’ll do it tomorrow.” She got up, briefly touched Emma’s chin, and the blonde frowned in disappointment. 

“Where are you going?”   
  
“I’m going downstairs for a while.” Regina looked lost, saddened, and for some reason, that made Emma want to wrap her in a tight hug and never let go again. She bit her lip.

“Do you want company?”

“No.” Her gaze made it clear that Regina had made up her mind, but Emma wouldn't be Emma if she didn't try.

"Are you sure?"

Regina sighed, ran a hand through her hair which told Emma that she was far away from being the cool CEO she had encountered only an hour before. "Yes, Emma, I'm sure."

And all that was left to do for Emma was nod, and watch her leave.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm normally not one for writing a lot of notes but I wanted to thank you for all the love for this story. When I started out I felt a little insecure about it, but your support has been overwhelming. Your comments, kudos, retweets, and love keep me going :) Thank you so much! <3

Regina didn’t know how long she had been in the lounge when the final tones of the piano died away. It must be very late, she briefly considered, because there were hardly any people anymore. The hotel staff had started to put the chairs on the table to clean the floor a while ago, but they respectfully kept their distance. She felt a little dizzy from the cider and wine she had been consuming - she’d stopped counting glasses when she had taken place behind the grand piano. The benefit of being wealthy and a great spender in the hotel meant that people would just bow at her every whim. If she wanted to play the piano, she was going to play the piano, even if it was the fucking middle of the night. And they let her.

She hadn’t played in years. Her mother had forced the lessons on her when she was very young, hoping she would be the next prophecy. She wasn’t, but the lessons had continued until far into her puberty. She hadn’t played since she left her parental home fifteen years ago, but apparently, it wasn’t something you forgot easily. Like riding a bike.   
  
A little rusty at first, she soon got the hang of it and played the classics from her mind. The errors she glossed over while remembering how her mother had made her stop and start anew. She’d hated it and it felt like defying her mother by just playing onwards.

This evening hadn’t gone how she had planned at all. She had thought she could maybe flesh out a deal and come to an understanding with Geppetto and his deranged son, but instead, talking about the take-over had left her unhappy and tense - even without considering the shift in the conversation towards her mother. 

No, this was something else. She never was emotionally involved and somehow, this was different. This dinner had caused turmoil inside.

When he’d inquired after her mother, she couldn’t help but draw parallels between the acquisition of Geppetto’s company and the hostile take-over of her mothers company, years ago. She remember having a dinner then, as well. It had left a sour taste in her mouth. She’d felt vindictive back then, had wanted to punish Cora Mills for ruining her own life. She had been consumed by vengeance. And it had felt so good, that she had relayed that feeling to the other companies she’d taken over. 

And it had _worked_. Until now.

Geppetto had looked at her with the same agitation her mother had and for some reason, it had gotten to her. She knew why, because there were grave differences in these parallels. Emma was right. She liked Geppetto, while she had loathed her mother. And she had a lot of respect for the man while her mother had none. 

Gepetto had built this company with his bare hands, starting locally. He had built furniture and toys first, then houses, and had moved on, expanded, until his name was linked with some of the more renowned skyscrapers in the country. He had an excellent reputation. Regina could well understand why he didn’t want his lifework to vanish into thin air. She understood but didn’t want the thought to haunt it as it currently did. It wasn’t like her, at all. She wanted her old self back, the one she trusted, the one she relied on. The one who acquired a business, split it up, sold it off in pieces. It’s what she knew - it’s what she did. Who she _was._ She'd earned the title of Evil Queen long ago and had relished her reputation. 

Right now, it only left a bitter taste in her mouth.

_Wouldn’t it be great to leave something after you’re gone instead of simply having a lot of money?_

Emma’s voice invaded her mind and Regina scoffed as her fingers slipped from the white keys. She held up her hands and noticed the slight tremor. Maybe she had drunk more than she thought.

Placing her fingers on the keys again, she started playing Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu, which she could do without thought, causing her thoughts to drift again. Emma Swan. What was she going to do with her? Regina was very happy with Emma’s presence at the dinner. The only pleasant parts of the entire ordeal were Emma’s mishaps and insecurities. Not that she wanted to make fun of the blonde, but her impartiality and ability to connect with everyone, disarming them with her open-mindedness and clumsy actions had more than once saved the conversation. 

Until the conversation had moved to her mother. Regina frowned again. Cora Mills would forever be a sensitive subject. Under the guise of giving Regina her best chances, Cora had made Regina’s life a living hell. Nothing ever was good enough, resulting in extensive emotional and sometimes physical abuse. The moment she could, Regina had left her parental home and had never looked back. She sighed, her fingers hitting a wrong key but she stubbornly ignored it and focused on the piano.

When the piece was finished, there was some applause from the few people left in the lounge. Most of them were hotel staff basically hanging around until she decided she was done playing. 

“I didn’t know you played.”

Regina looked up, surprised to hear the now familiar voice behind her. When she turned, she drank in the image of Emma, standing in a too big hotel bathrobe, hands in the pockets, head slightly tilted which made her golden curls fall over her shoulder. Her face was cleaned, all traces of make-up gone, and she looked a little tired.

“Haven’t played in years,” Regina answered, hating how she needed to concentrate on her speech because it was a little sluggish. She folded her hands together as Emma stepped closer. And because it was Emma, she stepped right into her personal space. The blonde turned, leaned her back against the piano next to Regina, and placed her elbows to lean on the top. 

“I was getting lonely upstairs, all by myself.” 

Regina narrowed her eyes. She had come here to escape her own thoughts, drown her self-pity, but in the end, it had just brought up more memories she really, _really_ wanted to forget. And here came Emma, unaware of all the thoughts haunting her, and she realized that she, too, felt more lonely than she had in years. Regina Mills didn’t do lonely. She was alone, often, but it was by her own choice. 

Until it wasn’t, apparently.

She turned her head. “Would you mind leaving us, please?” she said, voice a little raised, and she watched as the hotel staff got up and left. “Thank you,” she added.  
  
“People always do what you tell them to do?” Emma said with a tentative smile. 

Yes, Regina wanted to say. Yes, they usually did. But she couldn’t get herself to say and suddenly, there was a lump in her throat. She lifted her hand, wrapped her fingers around Emma’s waist and pulled her into her own direction, striking the piano keys in the process, until Emma stood in front of the piano stool, between Regina’s legs. She wanted -- she didn’t know what she wanted, she realized, as her fingers curled into Emma’s waist. She tried to swallow the thickness away but couldn’t and her eyes were burning and with a defeated sigh, she leaned forward, resting her forehead on Emma’s covered stomach. Vaguely, she noticed Emma’s surprised gasp before tentative fingers started to stroke her hair. 

Emma's fingers were soothing. Made it easier to push back the tears, made it easier to breathe. She knew that Emma could make her forget. And that was exactly what she wanted, no, _needed_ now.

She lifted her head, looked up to meet Emma’s green gaze as her fingers reached for the bathrobe’s belt. Emma tilted her head the slightest and barely noticeable, she nodded. Moments later the bathrobe fell open, revealing nothing more than a short, black nightgown. Regina inhaled shakily, pushed the robe off of Emma’s shoulders and it dropped to the floor, while her eager fingers traveled slowly over the thin black fabric, wandering from her breasts to her hips. Then, hands still on Emma’s hips, she suddenly stood up, making Emma’s breath hitch as their noses almost touched, her own breath mingling with Emma’s shallow exhale. “I guess so,” Emma murmured with a faint smile, answering her own question from moments before. 

A lump suddenly in her throat, Regina’s hand trailed up, cupping her cheek as Emma eyed her expectantly. Regina needed her, needed to feel her, needed to connect but when she leaned forward to catch Emma’s lips, the blonde withdrew. Regina’s hazy, intoxicated brain didn’t understand and she frowned, trying again. 

This time, Emma tilted and bowed her head, nipping Regina’s neck. Regina’s head fell back, exhaling shakily. Then, Emma pushed herself up until she sat on top of the piano and opened her legs, only to pull Regina between them. Regina’s breath stuttered as her hands wandered to Emma’s hips, pulling her closer. Her cheeks were warm, from both alcohol and arousal, and while her hands explored Emma’s body, she licked her lips in anticipation. Shallow breaths passed her lips. A pit of fire filled her stomach and the heat spread out through her entire body. In a moment of clarity she knew, she _knew_ that this was nothing more than a moment of distraction from her coiling thoughts but Emma was _here_ and willing and God, she wished Emma would want this as much as she did. Her head was swimming and as she inhaled Emma’s scent, she wondered if she was more drunk than she had thought, or if Emma was simply this intoxicating.

She placed a soft hand on Emma’s chest, urging her to lean back and Emma complied easily. Emma was so beautiful and she didn’t even know, she thought, as her hand reverently wandered over Emma’s body. Regina was riveted by the shape of Emma’s body, the way her pale skin contrasted with the black of the nightgown and the piano below her. Her fingers slipped under the black fabric and she was pleased with the sudden stutter in Emma’s breath. _Mine_. Emma wasn’t, not really, but tonight she was, this week she was, and judging by the way Emma’s back arched into her touch, she was almost sure Emma wanted it as much as she did.

Emma’s body twitched and jerked towards Regina’s touch and she restlessly moved her feet over the piano keys, filling the abandoned lounge with eerie sounds. Neither of them paid attention to it, while the off-key chords were joined by Emma’s whimpers and groans as Regina’s nails scratched over Emma’s soft skin. Regina pushed up the nightgown and started to kiss Emma’s belly, licking, sucking her way down until she reached black laced panties. Emma’s entire body was trembling and shifting, and her leg twitched, striking more piano keys in the process.

Emma’s panties were soaked, Regina noticed when her fingers fluttered over the soft fabric, and it satisfied her intensely. Emma responded with a moan and bucked her hips in Regina’s direction. She intensified the pressure and with it, Emma’s whimpering increased. “Oh, God,” Emma breathed, inhaling sharply. Regina purred in response, as Emma’s hips shifted restlessly over the piano. Then, her fingers hooked under the lace to pull it off, extracting a hoarse whimper from Emma’s throat. And when the barrier was gone, she had clear access to everything Emma had to offer. 

For a second, Regina’s movements stilled and she just watched the woman in front of her, completely exposed. Her eyes traveled over the panting woman on the grand piano, her nightgown now up till just under her breasts, her skin lit up by the lamps high up in the ceiling, a sheen of sweat covering her body. Regina inhaled deeply, breathing in Emma’s scent. The woman’s arousal electrified her own, shooting straight to her lower belly. Her heart pounded in her ears as she swallowed thickly. Emma started to shift when Regina took too long to touch her and Regina raised her hand, ran her fingers through Emma’s slickened folds which caused Emma’s hips to shift feverishly, instinctively searching for more friction. Regina gladly gave it to her, God, she would give Emma _everything_ she wanted. Firm fingers ran through Emma’s entire length, circling her clit before moving down again. Emma groaned, shifted, opened her legs even further, her moving legs extracting more piano sounds from the instrument, the notes filling the air around them. Then, her fingers found Emma’s entrance and the blonde moaned, pushing forward. Regina’s lips curled up as she slipped two fingers inside.

Emma was hot, wet, and soft and she couldn’t suppress a moan of her own, and still standing between Emma’s legs in front of the piano, she shifted her weight to prevent her knees from buckling. Regina’s free hand wandered over Emma’s belly, and she watched the blonde in fascination as her fingers slipped out, before thrusting them back inside. Emma’s legs trembled violently, while more piano sounds accompanied her heavy breathing and mewling sounds. Regina kept moving her fingers at a steady rhythm. Her own breath accelerated when Emma’s did, and the blonde’s movements started to get more frantic. Heat coiled in Regina’s veins, her heart slammed against her ribcage, pounded in her throat and head and she felt hot, so hot, as she added another finger. Emma wailed softly, her hands moving restlessly over the piano in desperate need to hold something, to dig her nails into, fingers clawing at the black wood, but not finding anything. Regina automatically reached out for her with her free hand, and when their fingers laced, Emma’s nails dug into Regina’s hand while her hips bucked again. “Regina, please,” Emma whined, lifting her head briefly and letting it fall back at the piano. Her legs moved, the piano released more tones, and Regina smirked.

She leaned forward, brought her face close to Emma’s wet folds, and swiped her tongue over her entire slit. Emma sobbed, a hysterical edge to her voice now. She closed her lips around Emma’s clit, sucked it gently as her fingers continued their thrusting and then, as she felt how close Emma got to the edge, she firmly pressed her tongue against the sensitive bundle of nerves. Emma froze for a split second, a moan captured in her throat, before she cried out, forcefully crashing over the edge. Her body shook violently as she came and Regina used her hand, still laced with Emma’s, to keep her in place. Emma’s walls clenched around Regina’s fingers, still softly stroking Emma’s wet folds and clit until Emma’s hand abruptly came down and pushed Regina away while simultaneously trying to close her legs. Regina withdrew, feeling dizzy of arousal and the alcohol in her system, Emma’s scent lingering around her. She softly stroked Emma’s legs until the contracting became less violent. Until Emma fell bonelessly back to the piano, panting heavily.

For a moment, there was no sound except Emma’s heavy breathing. Regina’s eyes traveled over Emma’s limp body, gently caressing her legs, then her belly. Then, Emma pushed herself up on her elbows and eyed Regina with misty eyes. A lazy smile appeared around her mouth. “I never had sex on top of a piano,” she murmured, voice sultry and Regina gasped sharply at her tone. She felt her own core throbbing with want - a want that only Emma could sate. 

“There’s a first time for everything,” Regina hummed as she held her gaze while bringing her wet fingers to her mouth, licking, tasting Emma. 

“Jesus, Regina,” Emma groaned, following the movement with her dark green eyes. Regina smiled, knowing exactly what it did to the blonde. Emma didn’t hide the hunger flaring up again and as Emma returned to her sitting position, Regina offered her free hand to help her down. Emma’s feet produced more piano sounds, and the blonde suddenly became fully aware of her surroundings. Her eyes grew wide in horror and her eyes flew through the room, distressed.

“Shit, do you think anyone heard-”  
  
“For sure,” Regina answered a little hoarsely, reached for the bathrobe on the floor and helped Emma get it back on, before gently closing the belt of the bathrobe for her. “But don’t worry. They’re discreet. They’re paid to be discreet.”

“Oh,” Emma murmured, flustered and eyes nervously shooting through the lounge again. But Regina didn’t want her to worry and touched her face, stroke a blond curl gently behind her ear. She took her hand, pressed a kiss in her palm. There was a blush on Emma’s face that ran from her left to right cheek, over the bridge of her nose. It was endearing. Post-orgasm was a wonderful look for her, Regina decided, and she decided that she wanted to create that same look again. Preferably tonight. And if Emma let her, more than just once.

"Wasn't I?" Emma then asked, a devious glance in her eyes that took Regina's breath away.

"Well, yes," she replied hoarsely, "but as I initiated this little... encounter, I think you'll get away with it. That is, if you're willing to replace the piano with a bed."

For someone who was used to taking, it was a new concept to only want to give. Regina didn’t want to think about what that meant too much right now - not with her own underwear soaked as well and her own arousal still coursing through her body, but also because she didn’t want Emma to feel uncomfortable.

"I think that can be arranged," Emma murmured, eyes darkening again.

“Let’s go up, then,” Regina whispered, nuzzling Emma’s cheek with her nose, and felt how the blonde nodded.

“God, yes, please,” Emma hoarsely chuckled, and Regina firmly took her hand and led her out the lounge, towards the elevator, her body filled with anticipation.

~*~

“Wake up, Emma. Time to shop.”

Emma groaned, hid her head under the pillow.

Regina smirked, walked around the bed, her wallet in her hand, and took out a credit card before she sat down next to the blonde. She took a string of blonde hair and pulled it gently, allowing her mind to briefly wander to last night. A night that had ended infinitely better than it had started. Emma had given as much as she’d received and it had been even later before they both fell asleep, but Regina only had a few hours of rest before she had to get up again. Still, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this good, even after barely three hours of sleep.

And that was a good thing. Today was going to be a busy day and after last night’s dinner and the first part of the evening feeling sorry for herself, she had lots to catch up to. Whale had already been complaining about the lack of progress after their dinner, but she had effectively shut him up. She knew she had to deal with him very soon because this was getting out of hand. He needed to be back on his leash, she sourly thought.

“Emma,” she tried again.

Emma grunted and turned towards her, as Regina held up a credit card in front of her face. “If you have any trouble using this card, have them call the hotel, all right? I have to go.”  
  
Emma lifted her head, looked at the card, and fell back into the pillows with a groan. “More shopping?” she sighed while taking the card, rubbing her head. 

“Well, yes, you’ll need more than one cocktail dress, dear,” Regina answered with a raised eyebrow. “I was actually surprised that you didn’t buy more than one dress yesterday.”

Emma sighed and stared at the ceiling as her fingers curled tightly around the card. “It wasn’t as much fun as I thought it would be,” she said, raising her head, eyes traveling over Regina’s suit.

“Why not?”

There was a tentative silence. “They were mean to me.”

Regina raised her eyebrows. “Mean to you?”  
  
“Yeah, well, I guess I wasn’t really dressed appropriately for their store and-”

“Mean,” Regina repeated slowly, effectively shutting Emma up, narrowing her eyes. “To you.” She felt a surge of outrage as she tilted her head. “Tell me what happened.”

Emma’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she pushed herself up, pulling the sheets to cover herself and that gesture alone told Regina that it really had been a serious challenge to shop for a dress and it annoyed her immensely. She wasn't angry at Emma. She was furious at the people who had treated her less than she deserved. “Tell me,” she barked, and Emma shook her head at first before quietly giving a very short summary of her experience in the boutique. “Maybe I should have-”

“No,” Regina sharply retorted, outraged by the story that clearly made her feel embarrassed - a fact that infuriated her even more. “Don’t make excuses for them. You can’t allow people to treat you like you don’t mean anything.” Emma hadn’t deserved that and Regina felt the urge to fix it.

“Eugenia helped me when I got back,” Emma murmured, flustered.

“Who? Ah,” Regina remembered, “The hotel manager.”

Emma smiled a little watery and nodded. “Anyway, that’s why I ended up with one dress. And shoes,” she added hastily.

Regina straightened her back. She was not a hypocrite, she knew she had been prejudiced against Emma and her fellow street workers as much as any other was - and God, maybe she still was, in a sense - but for some reason, mere boutique staff being rude to Emma ticked her off to no end. If there was anything Emma didn’t deserve, it was people being mean to her. She hadn’t met a more generous, open-minded, charming person in her entire life. 

“Well, I suppose that’s something we’ll have to set straight, then,” she said gruffly. “Get up. Get dressed. We’re going shopping.”

Emma’s eyes widened in surprise. “But your work-”

“I own the company, Miss Swan,” Regina sniped, “I tell everyone what to do. Not the other way around. I’ll inform them that I am otherwise engaged.” With that, she grabbed her phone and left the bedroom to inform Victor that she’d be later.

~*~

“People are looking at me,” Emma said nervously when they walked the same streets she had before. She was wearing her hotpants, and cropped shirt but now, with one of Regina’s white blouses over it, sleeves rolled up, and instead of her cowboy boots, she wore the shoes she had bought yesterday.

“They’re not looking at you, dear,” Regina retorted, fingers firmly curled around Emma’s hand, “They’re looking at me.” She was wearing a deep red dress that hugged her figure and showed a little cleavage, heels that made her taller than Emma, and she’d decided that this was her new favorite dress when Emma’s eyes had raked over her body twice when she’d left the bedroom. It startled her how Emma’s opinion influenced her.

“People in these stores are assholes,” said Emma nervously, as her eyes shot into all directions, “I don’t like shopping here.”

“Stores are never nice to people,” Regina countered. “They are nice to credit cards.” She stopped walking, and Emma stopped abruptly as well, fingers twitching, running her hand through her blonde, unruly curls.

“Stop fidgeting,” Regina told her, “And follow me.”

Regina entered a boutique where she had come before while visiting Los Angeles. She knew their collection. She knew that they knew _her_ , which was the most important thing of all. And they were going to treat Emma like the princess she deserved to be.

“May I help you?” one of the saleswomen asked, and Regina nodded. “I’d like to speak to the manager.” The girl hurried off immediately, and Regina turned to Emma, who shifted nervously. Her eyes shot through the store and to the door as if she was about to bolt. Regina lifted her hand and cupped Emma’s face, forcing the blonde to meet her eyes. 

“Emma. Relax,” she murmured, locking her gaze with Emma’s. “Nothing is going to happen. I’m here.” Emma eyed her warily, but then she softly sighed, briefly leaned into the touch, and she nodded, her eyes closing for a second. 

“Good morning,” they heard. They both looked up and a man next to them bowed lightly. “I am Mr. Jefferson. How may I help you?”

“Regina Mills,” Regina purred, and it didn’t escape her how his eyes widened a little. She took a step forward, held out her hand and he shook it firmly. “Do you see this young lady over here?” She waved at Emma, who tentatively took a step closer and awkwardly raised her hand in a wave.  
  
“Yes.”

“Do you have anything in this shop as beautiful as she is?” she asked him with raised eyebrows.

“Oh, yes. Oh no! No. No no no,” he quickly corrected himself. “I’m saying we have many things as beautiful as she… would want them to be. That’s the point I was getting at,” he smiled, folding his hands together in front of his chest. “I think we can all agree with that-”

“Do you know what we need here?” Regina said, grabbing his arm and moving him away from Emma. “We are going to need more people helping us, and I’ll tell you exactly why. We are going to be spending an obscene amount of money here. So, we’re going to need a lot more help sucking up to us, because that’s what we really like.” She ignored Emma’s disbelieving snort from behind her.

“Ma’am,” Jefferson said, bright-eyed and with a slight nod, “if I may say so, you’re in the right store, in the right city.” Regina’s mouth curled up in a smile and she turned her head to look at Emma. 

“Good.”

~*~

Emma didn’t know what happened. She knew this was fake, and that this was money talking, but that was exactly what Regina had said - shops liked credit cards, not people. But at least one of the girls helping her - Ariel, she had introduced herself - knew what she was doing very well. “You don’t need all that posh stuff,” Ariel told her, “but we have some excellent designer jeans in several colors. Your legs are perfect for skinny jeans.”

She brought a couple of pairs, and shirts and blouses, too, some dresses for formal events and some for casual, while the other girls fussed over details and shoes. It was a blur of designer names, fitting sessions, and a few times she’d helplessly looked into Regina’s direction, but the brunette’s eyes were always amused, her lips curled into a smile every time their eyes connected, while she was taking a couple of calls on her cell. Sometimes, Emma would tilt her head in a question when they showed her something new and Regina would answer with one of her many facial expressions, showing her disapproval or her consent. She smiled as she was offered a long, black gala dress with a bare back almost until her ass, a wide collar that showed a little cleavage, and long sleeves. Her eyes flashed to Regina, who was distracted by her phone call, a frown on her face. “I’ll try it,” she hastily said, “but if it fits, don’t tell her. It’ll be… a surprise.”  
  
“Most certainly, miss,” the girl said, winking conspiringly. There was another summer dress, white with black polka dots of Dolce & Gabbana and a jeans dress of a brand she couldn’t figure out, but which she really liked. And a red and black checkered blouse dress that went really well with jeans and which she fell in love with right away.

They were dividing their time by showing her what the store had to offer and fitting sessions and honestly, she didn’t even know how much time had passed when Regina came up to her. “I have to go to the office. You’re on your own.” Emma’s anxiety flared. It had been fine with Regina there because that’s why these people had been treating her nicely, right? She swallowed thickly. “But what-”  
  
“Shh. You’ll be fine,” Regina touched Emma’s face gently with her fingertips. “Money talks, remember?” She leaned back, and Emma could feel her eyes traveling over her figure. Apparently, the dark blue silk blouse and the black, very tight pair of designer jeans got her approval, because her lips turned into the tiniest of smiles. “You look beautiful,” Regina added, eyes crinkling lightly, running her hand up and down Emma’s arm. 

A flash of insecurity shot through her body as Regina turned to Mr. Jefferson. “She has my credit card,” she told him.

“And we’ll help her use it, ma’am,” he cheerfully said before Regina left the store. She instantly felt lost, but then a soft hand on her hand guided her further in. She looked in the kind, brown eyes of one of the saleswomen - Ariel again, who looked at her with warm eyes. “Let’s see if we can surprise her some more, all right? You’ll need shoes, next.”

And the fittings continued - she ended up with four different pairs of shoes and she protested at first because she was only going to be with Regina for five more days and she really didn’t need so many clothes and shoes but the manager promised that they would take it all back if it wasn’t suitable. 

In the end, she decided her old clothes behind. It was funny what clothes could do to your self-worth, she thought when she eyed herself in the mirror - she hardly recognized herself with these black slacks, a brown, decorative thin belt, dark blue silk blouse, and a casual jacket. Apart from the more casual outfits, she had also bought jeans, blouses, dresses and one evening dress - she didn’t know if she needed it, but better safe than sorry. The packed bags also contained a wide range of lingerie and teddies - Emma remembered how her simple nightgown had worked Regina up the night before and she was definitely looking forward to doing that again. 

She got changed one last time, opting to wear the white, dotted Dolce and Gabbana dress instead, which hugged her hips and the flowing skirt reached right above her knees, and white sandals with a little heel to go with it. Wearing a dress like this, Emma thought, should feel highly unnatural, but this one felt very comfortable and, as Ariel told her, really brought out her legs, especially with those shoes. And while the saleswomen were packing everything up, Ariel went out of her way to take her to a hairdresser.

It was halfway in the afternoon when she left the hairdresser - God, her messy curls had never been this soft and fluffy before -, lots of bags on her arms, and she went on her way back home - or well, to the penthouse. She felt like a completely different woman, and it was almost like the life she’d lived so far was nothing more than a bad dream. She reminded herself that she’d be wise to keep in mind that this was just temporary, but she decided to enjoy it to the fullest. Think positive. This was her here and now. There was time to worry later.

And then, she passed the boutique she had visited the day before and froze. For a moment, her old insecurities got the better of her. But she saw herself reflected in the window and raised her head. She wasn’t usually vindictive, but suddenly she found herself pushing the door open and barging in. The bell above the door announced her arrival.

One of the saleswomen immediately approached you, fake smile and all. “Can I help you?” she said, but Emma impatiently waved her off because she had found the one she was looking for. “No, thank you. Hi!” she addressed the one she’d been told off by yesterday.

The woman blinked. “Hi!”

“Do you remember me?” Emma smiled widely.

“No, I’m sorry,” the woman said, still smiling but now with a tiny frown as if she was trying to remember. 

“I was in here, yesterday. You wouldn’t wait on me?” Emma held the woman’s gaze. She didn’t miss the exact moment the woman realized who she was, shock in her eyes, and her eyes flicked over Emma’s body in disbelief. Emma smirked. “You work on commission, right?”

“Uh… yes,” she murmured, clearly flustered.  
  
Emma flashed her a dazzling smile. “Big mistake,” she told her, straight up her face. “Big. _Huge.”_ She shrugged, lifting all the bags on her arms to show them off. “I have to go shopping now.” The woman looked disbelieving, no, baffled, as her mouth hung open, very unprofessionally, Emma smirked as she turned to leave the store. “Bye!”

She got out and breathed in deeply, much as she had yesterday, but the air in her lungs felt so much better than it had yesterday. She was surprised that being vindictive felt this good. She smirked. Apparently, Regina Mills was rubbing off on her. 

When she entered the hotel, two bellboys came rushing to help her with all the bags, which made her realize that apparently, appearance was in fact everything. She caught Eugenia’s gaze, who eyed her fondly and nodded at her in appreciation. Emma shot her a quick smile - she liked the woman, and would never forget how she’d come through for her the day before. She mouthed a thank-you and it earned her a wide smile before Emma stepped into the elevator. 

~*~

It was late, well after dinner time, when Regina finally came in, absentmindedly going through the messages she picked up at the reception. She had pissed Whale off today and had ended up by sending him away. She felt exhausted, gloomy, and frustrated. With a sigh, she re-read the first message but when she didn’t register the message for the second time, she impatiently threw them on her desk, and dropped in a chair, while her thoughts wandered back to her incident with Whale.

“Geppetto is gonna raise your offer, the word’s all over the street,” Victor had gestured wildly when Regina stepped into the office after she had Emma alone at the store. It had taken her less than fifteen minutes to get there, which had been plenty of time to return to her professional self.

“He’s countering?” Regina had put down her briefcase and raised her eyebrows at him before her lips curled into a fond smile. “He is a tough old bird.” She admired the old man for not giving up without a fight. Walking around her desk, she sat down and opened her laptop. “He knows the contracts are stalled,” she told Victor as she tapped in her password. “Where’s he getting the money from?”

“He mortgaged everything, down to his underwear,” Whale smiled widely, a glimmer in his eyes, “to secure a loan from the bank. And it’s not just any bank,” he added hastily, “It’s Misthaven Trust!” The glee on his face was understandable. He dropped down in the chair on the other side of Regina’s desk. 

Misthaven Trust was one of the banks she had a very good understanding of. She worked a lot with them, had most of her business there, and she knew that if she picked up her phone and called her contact there, Geppetto Industries would be shut down today.

But for some reason, Regina couldn’t muster up to feel the same as Victor, and she didn’t want to pick up that phone and call. “Hm,” she hummed, reaching for the notes of this morning’s meeting, glossing over it. She’d played this game before, she knew what she could expect.

Victor’s victorious smirk became a little bit smaller. “So, it goes without saying that your business means more to them than our friend Mr. Geppetto, so all you have to do is call the bank and get it over with.” She rolled her eyes as he chewed out what he expected her to do - something she’d thought of herself already. Victor leaned back, still a pleased smirk on his face, but his eyes clouded over with Regina’s lack of response. 

“We have him by the balls, Regina,” he said, leaning over, placing his elbows on the desk. 

“Yes, we do,” she murmured, her fingers trailing the edges of the papers she was studying. _Wouldn’t it be great to leave something after you’re gone instead of simply having a lot of money?_ Emma’s voice lisped in her head. She sighed a little impatiently. 

Misunderstanding her sigh, Victor stood up abruptly, running a hand through his short blond hair. He started to pace through the office. “Regina, excuse me for saying this, but what the hell is _wrong_ with you this week?” he barked, moving closer to her and leaning over. “Are you giving Geppetto the chance to get away?” 

It had probably meant to be impressive because Regina had to look up to meet his gaze, but she never did, staring ahead of her, still fingering the papers. She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t you ever regret that we’re not building anything?” she asked him instead of answering the question. 

A short silence fell between them as Victor tried to wrap his head around the question. He moved back to his chair and all but fell into it. “What?” he said puzzled.  
  
“We don’t build anything. We don’t _make_ anything,” Regina clarified. 

“We make money, Regina,” Whale countered, “A fucking shitload of money. That’s what we do. That’s what we’ve always been doing.” Regina nodded once. It was true. They had always done that.

“We worked for a year on this deal. It’s what you said you wanted,” Victor continued vehemently, “I’m handing it to you now on a silver platter.” Again, he jumped up, moved towards her until he towered over her - again. “Geppetto’s jugular is exposed. It’s time for the kill! Let’s finish this.” He saw the phone next to her cellphone, grabbed it, and pushed it into her hand. “Call the bank, Regina.”

“Not yet.”

“What?” Victor exploded, and she had calmly stood up. 

“We’re going to let him dangle for a little while longer.”

“That’s the stupidest thing-”  
  
“I’d advise you to think about your next words very carefully,” she had quietly said and his jaws had snapped shut immediately. “This is still my company, Mr. Whale. You are still my employee. I’d strongly urge you to think about that before you say anything else.”

She had sent him away after and had spent her time in the office going over all the paperwork over and over again to assuage her newly acquired feelings of guilt. Taking over companies was what she did. It was what she was good at. But she couldn’t find a way to satisfy all parties in this take-over. Someone was going to lose. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be her. She gritted her teeth more than once until her jaws had hurt, and it left her angry and frustrated until it was dark and she had decided to leave, disillusioned.

She sighed, rubbed her hand wearily over her face and neck, and turned - only to find Emma looking at her, leaning against the doorpost of the bedroom with her arms folded in front of her chest. She was wearing a white dress, covered in small polka dots, with a skirt that flowed easily around her knees. Her sight was like a fresh breeze on one of these overheated Los Angeles days. “Rough day?” Emma looked a little worried, brow a little furrowed. Worry for _her,_ Regina realized and despite the raging frustration, that idea soothed her mind a little.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Regina murmured, looking at how the blonde made her way towards her, a little sway to her hips. 

“Want to talk about it?” the blonde asked, but Regina shook her head tiredly.

“No.”

“Time to relax, then,” Emma softly said, before reaching for Regina’s hands and tugging her up. “Let’s get you into a warm bath.”

A bath suddenly sounded like the best idea Regina had heard today and she nodded only once, got up willingly, and let Emma lead her into the bathroom. She halted in surprise right after they entered the spacious area. The bath was already filled, the foam on top looked soft and fluffy and inviting and it smelled like apples. But that wasn’t why she had stopped. Emma had decorated the space with candles, which spread a soft light over the reddish marble stone, and soft music came from a small Bluetooth speaker on the sink. She hadn’t expected so much care for detail from anyone without her ordering it and paying for it - well, technically she _was_ paying Emma, but not for this, specifically, right? She blinked, not being used to so much kindness without expecting something in return, and stood still for a couple of more seconds, not really knowing what to do. This sense of insecurity was foreign to her, as well. 

But before she could say anything, she felt a hand on her shoulder. “You’re late, but I kept it warm. It’s all ready,” Emma softly said. Regina nodded, and automatically, she reached for the zipper of her red dress, but Emma gently pushed her hands away. “Let me,” she told her gently, stepping behind her and slowly opening the dress. Goosebumps spread over her entire body as Emma’s breath ghosted over her neck, pushed the dress off her shoulders, unclasped the bra along the way, and undressed her in almost one go. 

Regina turned around. She was tired from the long day of fighting Victor Whale, her papers, numbers, and herself, and this bath sounded like heaven, but she wanted Emma to be there, as well. “Join me,” she said. Emma smiled softly.

“Of course.” Apparently, she’d expected the question - had it even been a question? - and smiled, reached for her own zipper, and quickly removed her own clothes. In a single movement, she stepped into the bath and took Regina’s hand, before guiding Regina into the water. She let Emma take the lead - she normally would never surrender control, because it showed weakness, but Regina was tired and this was Emma and Emma had readied a bath for her. Emma lowered herself behind Regina and Regina slowly followed, leaning against Emma’s naked chest with her back. She sighed as the warmth of the water enveloped her, as Emma’s hand trailed over her arms. “What happened?” Emma quietly asked.

“Everything and nothing,” Regina answered. Her muscles started to relax and she closed her eyes.

“Want to talk about it now?” Emma repeated the question she'd asked before and nuzzled her shoulder.

“No, but that probably is not going to stop you,” she said tersely, feeling how Emma’s lips curled into a smile against her neck. There were a few moments of silence when nothing else than their even breathing and the water moving and dripping could be heard. 

“I’ve been thinking about my parents,” Regina then slowly said, surprising both Emma and herself. 

“Hm,” Emma offered, taking the soft sponge that had laid ready on the edge of the bath, running it over Regina’s arm. She looked at it absentmindedly. “Tell me about them.”

There was a long pause again. “My father…,” Regina slowly started, “he was a teacher. And he married my mother, whose family was… extremely wealthy. Then she divorced my father to be with another man and took all her money with her.” She leaned back, resting the back of her head against Emma’s shoulder, who continued to wash Regina’s front, squeezing the foam out of the sponge on her midriff before evenly distributing it over her chest and breasts. Regina sighed. She wasn’t used to telling personal stories. It felt uneasy. Unnatural, even. “And then he died. I was very angry with her.”

She smirked. “It cost me over ten thousand dollars in therapy to say that sentence. I was very _angry_ with her. When she left my father, she took me with her. It devastated him when she forbade him to see me. She wanted to shape me to her liking. And then he died, and I couldn’t say goodbye and wasn’t even allowed to go to his funeral. So yes. I was _angry_ with her.” Her lips curled in a mocking smile. 

Emma snorted lightly. “I think I would’ve been angry about the 10k,” she retorted and it drew a smile from Regina before her face turned serious again.

“My mother was CEO of the third company I ever took over. I bought it. Sold it off, piece by piece until there was nothing left.”  
  
“What did the shrink say?” Emma asked, amusement evident in her voice while she ran the sponge over Regina’s shoulder. 

“That I was cured,” she replied with a grin. 

“So you got even? That must’ve made you happy.”

Regina didn’t say anything. The victory had been bittersweet. _Happy now?_ Cora had bitterly thrown at her. No, she hadn’t been happy. She had been angry. Her mother still was a very wealthy woman, but the company she had built up from the ground had been ruined completely. Vanished from the face of the earth. Some had called it petty, vengeful, vindictive. _You can build your empire as the Evil Queen, by conquering and vanquishing, Regina,_ her mother had told her, _but you’d be wise to remember that villains never get a happy ending._ Regina had simply retorted with _You should know, as you've just lost yours._

Her mother had ultimately led her into her current career path and she had not once questioned it. Until now.

She took Emma’s hand and laced their fingers together, staring at their joined hands. "It did," she whispered. 

Emma wrapped her legs around Regina’s waist. “Well, did you know my legs are 39 inches from hip to ankle? So basically, we’re talking about 78 inches of therapy wrapped around you for the bargain price of nine thousand dollars.”

Regina chuckled at the way Emma easily broke off her somber train of thoughts and felt a warmth surge through her stomach and settle in her chest. It wasn’t time to think about it now. She allowed herself to relax against Emma, and closed her eyes momentarily, as Emma continued her very serious task of washing her. 

“Tell me about you,” she softly requested.

Emma shrugged after a few seconds. “There’s not a lot to tell,” she said quietly, and Regina heard the unwillingness in her voice. She scoffed. Emma never had a problem with invading Regina’s space or mind, but apparently, she couldn’t return the favor. Somehow, it irritated her. 

“I highly doubt that,” she countered. 

“Let’s just say,” Emma said slowly, her free hand stilling for a few seconds before she started to run the sponge over Regina’s body again, “That life hasn’t been kind on me and that I’ve tried to make the most of what’s been thrown at me. I never could have expected to end up in a place like this. And uh, these past few days have been really amazing. And you’ve been really… kind.”

Regina swallowed. She heard the gratitude in Emma’s voice but felt undeserving. “Emma, I am not a... kind woman,” she stiffly said, feeling the tension crawl back in her shoulders. Emma nuzzled her neck and smiled.   
  
“I haven’t seen you unkind.”   
  
“I have to pay a- a-’’ Hooker. Prostitute. The words got stuck in her throat and she couldn’t find it in her to speak them out loud, “ _someone_ to spend a week with me,” Regina spat out impatiently and she felt a shiver run to Emma’s body. “I was told to be prepared to pay a shitload of money for someone to tolerate me,” she bitterly added. “And I _did._ I hired _you,_ right off fucking Hollywood Boulevard, the same day. What does that make me?”

Her voice was rough and accusing, to herself and for some reason, the accusation was extended to Emma, even though there was no reason to accuse her of anything. Was it her fault that she'd been there at the exact same time the fucking car hadn't cooperated? But even though her movements faltered, Emma continued washing Regina and it frustrated her to no end that Emma didn't respond right away. She opened her mouth to say something else, to apologize, maybe, because Emma didn't deserve this from her, but then she spoke up. 

“Well, you _are_ paying me. For me, it _is_ a shitload of money. For you, it’s probably what you make while spending an hour in the office." Emma sighed softly. "And I'm actually happy you did pick me up where you did. But that person is wrong. I, um - it’s nothing to do with having to tolerate you. I like hanging out with you. I don’t know what that makes you. Maybe a very clever woman.”

“Why?” Regina asked, still frustrated, “Why are you so... _understanding_?” She lifted her hands and rubbed her temples. “I wasn’t very nice to you and you just shrug it off. I don’t deserve that.” Self-loathe was evident in her voice and it surprised even Regina. It was as if she _wanted_ to push Emma away, as if she wanted Emma to push _her_ away, but the woman had latched onto her and just wouldn’t let go. Stubborn till the very end.

“Hm. There are two things.”  
  
“Tell me,” Regina demanded immediately.

“Well, one is that I’ve been called worse than a ‘ _someone_ .’ You know, you absolutely _can_ call me a hooker, a whore, a street worker, a prostitute… because that’s what I am.” She shrugged. “They're just words. If there’s something that _doesn’t_ hurt me, it’s words.” There was a silence after that, as Emma’s movements stilled. “Other things hurt a lot more. Not just… on the streets and, you know,” she added, a little flustered, “work-related, but also growing up in the system. I'm an orphan. I've seen a lot of wrong things in a lot of wrong places. Everything you throw at me, I more or less heard before. I guess I... have thicker skin than most.”

Regina’s stomach clenched painfully at those words, which were spoken in such a matter-of-fact tone that she knew Emma regarded them as facts. She hadn’t known Emma was an orphan. And she felt for the girl she had been, for the life she had had. Chances were for the privileged, she realized. She swallowed thickly. She didn’t want to compare her own life with Emma’s and shook her head to erase that train of thought from her mind.

“And what’s the second one?” 

She pulled herself up and turned a little, to be able to see Emma’s face. There was a flash of surprise about her move, then a hint of wariness in Emma's eyes - not for very long, but long enough to put Regina on edge.

“Well, I figured out yesterday morning that you lash out to protect yourself,” she slowly said, “It’s not about me. It’s about you.”

“What?” Regina blinked a few times.

Emma smiled tentatively, lifting her hand to push her hair behind her ear. “When I asked about your company, you got all riled up and defensive. You lashed out because your company is dear to you and you’ve worked hard for it and you don’t want anyone to bring even the idea of that down.”

Regina snorted in disbelief, feeling the familiar outrage in her chest. “So what - you’re a shrink now, too?”

Emma’s eyes shimmered a few seconds. “I rest my case,” she shrugged with a tiny smile and Regina opened her mouth to respond. And then snapped her jaws together as she realized that she’d made Emma’s point. 

Damnit.

“It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt, whenever you lash out,” Emma softly continued, “But I know there’s a reason behind it. Because I know _you_ hurt, too.”

Regina felt a lump form in her throat again as she turned her eyes away, suddenly unable to look at her. She felt a little ashamed by Emma’s insightfulness.

“How did you cope?” she asked softly.

“What do you mean?” Emma frowned.

“From what you've shared, I understand your life has been far from easy. How are you still so… _positive_?”

Emma shrugged again. “What else would you want me to do? Cry in a corner? I have bad nights.” She stared in the distance. “I had one the night we met. Wondering if the asshole that killed one of my unfortunate colleagues would come for me next. And if it would matter. Nobody would miss me.” Her voice grew softer, darker. “One more hooker off the streets, my death would probably be more of a blessing than a burden.”

“Emma-”  
  
“But I have to make the best of it,” Emma continued quickly, not allowing Regina to interfere. “I’m trying to find one positive point each day and hold onto it. Something that makes me happy. These past few days… it was easy to find those focus points. It was, um, easy… to be happy.”

Bright green eyes found hers and shone with a little defiance. “I know it’s not forever. But it’s something to hold onto. And something nobody will ever take away from me.” The gratefulness felt as something Regina didn’t deserve at all and she hugged herself and closed her eyes, but then the water moved as Emma started to shift. She felt a hand splayed against her shoulder.

“Listen,” she said, voice firmer now, “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I chose the path within my abilities to choose and I’m not ashamed of those decisions. And I’m sure that someday, there will be a better opportunity and I'll take it and then I can make a better life for myself. I don’t need your pity.”

“I don’t pity you.” Regina realized that it would be thoroughly condescending if she ever did. She raised her eyes to meet Emma’s, who smiled a little.

“Well, that’s good to hear. Come on, it’s late. I’m going to towel you off and put you to bed. The bags under your eyes are almost as long as your hair.”

It was evident what Emma was doing - changing the subject to one they both felt more comfortable with at this point. Regina accepted it readily and rolled her eyes before she scoffed.

“Well, thank you, Miss Swan. Eloquent as ever, I hear.”

Emma smirked and scrambled out of the bath, almost slipping on the wet tiles. She shot on one of the bathrobes first, before grabbing a towel, motioning Regina to get up and out of the bath. “You know me. Now, let’s see if we can get you sleeping more than the three hours or less you’ve probably been getting these past few days.” She smirked. "You're not allowed to get up before the sun is up."

Reluctantly, Regina left the warm water of the bath but Emma’s arms holding up the towel looked invitingly enough. And when Emma wrapped her in the thick, soft towel, Regina, to her surprise, felt safe once more. 

"Hey," Emma whispered in her ear, "did you know that if you sit in a bath at 38 degrees for an hour, you'll burn about 130 calories? That's as much as you burn by walking for half an hour. Or by doing 40 sit-ups." Her eyes shimmered and Regina chuckled at the little trivia as Emma continued to towel her off until her skin felt warm and rosy. Her eyes already fell close, and Emma gently guided her to the bed.

She had no trouble falling asleep that night and when she woke up a few hours later, Regina sighed, contemplated getting up but decided against it, snuggled up against Emma and wrapping her arms firmly around the blonde - God, she would never admit to anyone she was a cuddler in bed - and fell asleep again.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Regina told Emma to dress up and after some nudging from Regina’s side, Emma took the white dress with polka dots because it looked casual but distinguished. “And I like you in it,” she said, and Emma, who’d probably have been more comfortable wearing slacks, caved when she saw the shimmer in Regina’s eyes. The brunette told her they were going to attend a game of polo. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and applied some light makeup. She hoped it would suffice - she knew what polo was, but had never attended a game as it was not something her usual crowd attended, so she didn’t know what to expect. Besides, Emma had never really liked horses - they were too big and too unpredictable, so while she pulled on her shoes she asked, “Why polo?”

“Geppetto will be there because his son is playing,” Regina answered simply, applying the final touch to her impeccable makeup, “as well as a lot of investors. I need to make an appearance and I want you there with me.”

Emma nodded. She had never attended a polo game before and figured they would be in some sort of stadium, but as Gus skillfully steered the limo out of the city, Emma frowned. “Where are we going?”

“There’s a club right outside the city,” Regina replied, not elaborating any further. Emma’s frown got deeper. A club? It sounded expensive. She already knew it was probably going to be an obnoxious event with a lot of wealthy people, but it only now dawned on her that this was probably smaller scaled than she thought it would be. And that idea made her anxious. As always, her fingers started to twist and she curled them around the hem of her dress to stop fidgeting.

She had no idea where they were going but just as that, they arrived at a static mansion, and despite the drought and hotness of LA, there was a lush, green field. The game had already started, they saw from the distance. Men on horses were galloping over the playing field, bending over their horses and hammering at a ball with a stick. It looked very posh, the horses very expensive. Very… eloquent, Emma snorted. Next to the field, people were sitting on white chairs, chatting while following the game, and enjoying the sun. Nope. This wasn’t a stadium. This was… almost intimate. 

Emma felt Regina’s eyes on her as Gus parked the car, but she didn’t say anything. Gus opened Emma’s door. She hesitated to go out and breathed quickly as if she was short of breath. Regina frowned at her. “What’s wrong?”

“What if anyone recognizes me?” Emma asked anxiously. “I thought it would be big. Like, stadium big,” she confessed, waving with her hand, “Like a game of football and, I don’t know, impersonal. This is… small. More… personal.”

Regina’s mouth pulled up in a smile and she arched an eyebrow. “Don’t worry. It’s not likely that you’ll be recognized, dear,” she told her. “They don’t spend so much time on Hollywood Boulevard.”

“ You did,” Emma countered. It was hardly more than a murmur.

“I did,” Regina admitted, after a few seconds. She raised a hand, her fingertips brushed Emma’s face. It was a soothing gesture, and Emma’s eyes fell close. She breathed in deeply. Then, she gathered her courage and got out of the car. 

Regina immediately followed and slipped her arm around Emma’s waist. “Come on. Let’s go,” she said, soft but firm, as she started to guide Emma towards the game. “Geppetto will be here. You know him and he definitely likes you. And I’ll introduce you to some people who aren’t deranged lunatics.” 

Emma snorted. “It sounds like you’re enjoying these kinds of events immensely,” she said. She felt how Regina’s arm tightened a little around her waist. 

“I’m not. It’s business,” she said before she turned her head and stopped walking. “You look great. Everyone’s going to envy me. Relax.” She surprised Emma by lifting Emma’s hand and placing a soft kiss in her palm, and the gesture warmed her on the inside. Her breath stuttered at the gentle form of affection but she didn’t want to think more of it than just a gesture to soothe her nerves. 

“You have a very sharp mind, Emma Swan,” Regina murmured. “You’ll blow them all away. Money can only cover assholes with a thin layer of veneer.” She smirked. “If anything, throw your trivia collection on them. I’m sure they’ll be delighted.”

That remark relaxed Emma a bit, and she even produced a tiny smile. When she raised her head, she noticed Regina was looking at her. 

“Do you even like horses?” she abruptly asked Regina. 

“I do.”

Surprised, Emma looked up. “You do? I didn’t figure you for a horse girl. Though, maybe I should have if your first car was a limo. Guess you’d have a stable too.”

Regina chuckled - a sound that further soothed Emma’s nerves. “We did,” she told her. “I think I rode a horse before I could even walk. I had my own horse before I left home. After I left… I guess I left my horseback riding days behind me, as well.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Enormously.”

“Do you miss it?”

There was a small pause before Regina replied. “Sometimes.”

Emma smiled sympathetically. “Then why not pick it up again?” she asked. Regina tilted her head before her eyes moved to the polo field that stretched out in front of them.

“Who knows,” she said but Emma couldn’t figure out if she was just answering politely, or seriously considered it. “All right,” she said then, tightening her grip behind Emma’s waist for a second, and then her arm fell away. “Don’t fidget. And smile.”

Instantly, Emma’s mouth curved into a lopsided smirk. Regina smiled back, placed a hand on her lower back. “I’ll introduce you to a few people, and then I have to go find my attorney, and a few others, so you’ll have to fend for yourself a bit.” 

Emma nodded and Regina introduced her to some of the more accessible people - at least people who wouldn’t think about double-crossing the brunette - before she left Emma alone when she noticed one of the investors she currently worked with. Without Regina, Emma felt a little lost at first but found that she could also enjoy herself by watching the game and she slowly walked behind the make-shift tribune of cute little white wooden chairs, which were occupied by a lot of obviously very rich people. Sometimes they looked up when she passed and she automatically smiled. Most of the time, their glances were curious because they hadn't seen her before, and she forced herself to nod every time until she arrived at the announcer’s booth, where again, someone looked up. There was a spark of recognition in the blond woman's eyes and Emma hated how it unsettled her immediately, while she automatically searched her mind if she knew her, but she drew a blank.

“Hey! You’re with Regina, aren’t you?” she said, waving to the parking area at the same time. “I saw you arrived together. I guess you’re the flavor of the month?” she smirked.

Emma blinked at that rude comment, too taken aback to have a sharp retort at the ready. “Are you trying to land her?” the woman continued, her eyebrows raised, and Emma felt something squeeze in her stomach. Anger, mostly, but also something that resembled protection. Protection of what, she couldn't figure out. She only narrowed her eyes and smiled friendly, like Regina had told her to. 

“Oh,” she replied with a wink, “I’m not trying to land her. I’m just using her for sex.” And with that, she turned and left, a snorting disbelieving laugh following her out. Definitely a rich asshole, she thought, fuming. 

~*~

Regina had been distracted by one of her investors for a while, talking about an alteration in the deal they were about to close. She’d left Emma to be at the mercy of her business contacts. It made her feel a little guilty, knowing that Emma hadn’t been too happy to come here - Regina could sympathize because she had meant what she’d said before, she really didn’t like these seemingly social events -, but she also needed Emma to be able to fend for herself this week. So yes, she’d throw her into the deep to see if she could swim. Regina couldn’t always be there to hold Emma’s hand. And Emma, the confident, cocky girl she had met a few days ago, could do it - Regina was absolutely sure of that. She was aware that this was out of Emma's comfort zone, but Regina believed that she could handle it.

When the investor turned because he needed to find someone else, Regina looked up, scouted the area to see if she could find the blonde, but Emma was gone. She hoped it meant that she was enjoying herself. Not everyone here was a nice conversation partner. The rich and mighty hadn’t become rich and mighty because they were being friendly - most of them were obnoxious assholes. 

Instead of going to look for her, she turned to watch the game, her eyes wandering over the well-trained horses, enjoying the way their hooves made the ground rumble, pieces of turf flying around as their hooves threw it up in the air. She remembered how it felt like, to ride outside, with only little to worry about. The sun on her face. Wind in her hair. A longing settled in her chest. It had been a long time. And yes, she missed it tremendously. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about it in years, and a single question had made her a little nostalgic.

She felt Emma’s presence before she saw her approach. Emma had a wary smile on her face but didn’t say anything for a little while as walked up to her, and turned to watch the game with her. Neither of them said anything as they watched the horses rumble by. “Do you know that horses have been domesticated for over 5000 years?” Emma finally broke the silence between them. Regina’s lips curled up. 

“Yes, actually, I knew.”

“Of course you do, being a horse girl like you are.” Emma sounded faintly amused.

“Do you like them?” Regina wanted to know.

“Nope. Horses scare me. Too big,” Emma immediately answered. She tensed as two of them galloped closeby. 

“Too bad. There’s nothing that gives you a bigger feeling of freedom than to ride on a horse,” Regina said with a sigh. 

“Yeah, well. Not many horses where I grew up, you know,” Emma shrugged.

Something inside Regina wanted to offer to teach her, but she bit the remark back. Their time together would end in a few days, and she didn’t want to make any promises she wasn’t going to be able to keep. So she kept her head turned to the game until Emma spoke up again. “So, tell me again why we’re here,” Emma said, eyes warily following the horses. 

“Business,” Regina answered simply.

“Business mingling?” Emma clarified.

“Exactly.” 

Emma opened her mouth to say something else when someone called from behind them.

“Regina!” They both turned when a thin, short blond man approached them. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” 

“Victor,” Regina greeted her lawyer, automatically placing a hand in the small of Emma’s back. “I want you to meet Emma Swan, a new friend.”

“Hi, Victor Whale,” he introduced himself, extending a hand to Emma, who took it and gave it a firm shake. “Nice to meet you.” 

Emma smiled politely, but Regina felt the tension in her back muscles. “All right,” Victor said cheerfully, “Let me get you a drink. By the way, Regina, did you know that Senator Gold is here?” His eyes flashed.

Regina smirked. “Hm-hm,” she hummed an affirmation, “That’s because I asked him.”

Victor’s mouth opened and closed immediately again and chuckled in delight. “That is why I have pledged my eternal love to you,” he said, bowing dramatically, wiggling his eyebrows. “All right, drinks first and talk later.” He turned on his heels Regina shook her head as he took off, veering steps to get them their drinks.

“Real genuine guy,” Emma snorted, shivering slightly. She curled up her nose a little. “Who is he?”

“He’s my attorney,” Regina replied, a mild frown on her face at Emma’s reaction. “He’s all right.”

“Talked to those other people a little, too,” she said, nodding her head towards the announcer’s booth. “Are these the people you call friends?” The disbelieving tone struck a nerve. It put Regina a little on edge, and she looked at the game in front of them. 

“I spend time with them, yes,” she answered, a little defensive.

“Well, no wonder.” Emma looked away, focused on the horses galloping by. 

“No wonder, what?” Regina curiously asked.

“No wonder why you came looking for me,” Emma said. Regina blinked in surprise and turned her head to catch Emma’s eyes, but she was stubbornly looking at the game, refusing to meet Regina’s eyes - and yet, a tiny smirk around her lips. Regina didn’t know what to make of that, what it meant. 

“What-” but at that moment, a blaring horn announced a break in the game and the announcer called the public for help with the stomping of the divots, effectively shutting Regina up. The horses’ hooves had loosened small parts of the fields that had to be stomped, the announcer said, urging the spectators to enter the field. Emma now turned her head, eyed Regina questioningly. She nodded a short approval and Emma moved forward as if she was happy she was going to have something to do.

Regina followed her with her eyes, Emma’s remark still running through her mind. Her eyes wandered over the crowd, she flashed a half-smirk to one of her business contacts as their eyes met, and she wondered if Emma might be right. None of these people she considered to be her friend - well, Victor maybe, because they worked together -, but she would not spend her free time with them. She had told Emma earlier that she wasn’t likable. She still believed that, but Emma’s persistence that she liked spending time with her had given her a view of how it could also be. 

No, these weren’t her friends and up till a week ago, she supposed she didn’t even need those, but seeing some of these attendants having a genuinely good time, she wondered what it would be like to come here with people you really liked. That in itself was a strange concept. Regina Mills didn’t really like anyone. 

Well. Maybe she’d grown a little fond of Emma, she reluctantly admitted to herself, and she let her eyes wander back to the blonde. A smile tugged on her lips when she found her, a dedicated frown on her face pushing one of the divots back, maybe stomping a little harder than needed. She looked beautiful in her black-dotted dress, white shoes, and hair pulled out of her face, Regina thought. She fit in, and at the same time, she didn’t fit in at all. Her clothing was appropriate and she could easily compete with most of the people here. But her character was a sharp contrast to the shrewd business crowd, always trying to take each other down. She didn’t belong here, Regina sighed. And maybe that was a good thing. She’d hated to see Emma’s spirit corrupted by these calculating vultures.

As if Emma felt her watching, she suddenly looked up. She smiled slightly, motioning her to come, too. And why the hell not? Even before she had decided, Regina’s feet were already bringing her closer to the only person that really mattered today. She shook her head. It wasn’t the way she was supposed to think. There was a lot of business she still had to conduct but right now, it didn’t matter. 

She closed the distance between them, automatically reached for Emma’s hand, and they looked for divots together. Emma took Regina’s hand and held on to it tightly, which made Regina’s chest flutter, and Emma turned around, finding new divots to stomp, her dotted skirt swirling around her knees. 

“The high and mighty Regina Mills stomping divots with me? I never thought I’d see the day,” Emma smiled, a little mocking. “Hell, I never thought I’d be doing this, at all.” She hopped on another one after she had wriggled the piece of turf back into the hole where it belonged, with the heel of her shoe.

“Why not?”

“Well, there’s not a lot of grass or polo games around Hollywood Boulevard now, is there?” Emma said, with raised eyebrows. Regina mentally slapped herself for her inconsiderate question. It was so easy to forget about that part of Emma’s life while she was with her. But Emma didn’t seem to mind and wasn’t put off by her question. And when she misstepped and nearly lost her balance, Regina instinctively reached out for her and caught her. Emma laughed and quickly grabbed Regina’s upper arm to steady herself. Their eyes met and Regina was blown away by the shimmer she saw in her eyes. The warmth that surged through her body and settled in her chest was so unfamiliar that she simply smiled back, feeling unsettled. She was suddenly out of breath, noticed how her heartbeat had picked up and swallowed, before pointing out another piece of turf to Emma. 

If she was honest to herself, the activity lasted less long than Regina would have wanted it to. On the other hand, maybe a little distance wasn’t a bad thing right now, she told herself, because she needed to collect herself again. So when one of the members of the club offered to polish Emma’s shoes - it was a tradition, he told her - Regina urged her to take the chance. As for herself, she sought out some more business contacts to keep her mind occupied, and fortunately, she found senator Gold, who was accompanied by his young wife. Belle was a sweet girl, a little naive from time to time, but book smart at the same time and she was kind, open-minded, and warm - very unlike her husband - and Regina thought that Emma would probably like this young woman. Not for the first time, she wondered what a genuinely kind woman like Belle saw in a calculating man like Gold. The mere fact that she used him right now - an act born in desperation, which Gold liked the most - would definitely mean he would call in a favor later because that’s what he did. He made deals. His wife was his complete opposite. 

Maybe opposites did attract.

Gold more or less promised her to delay the Geppetto contract indefinitely or until she would tell him to approve it, so all in all, the business she had come here for, was done. There were a few people she still needed to talk to, but before she could find them, Victor walked up to her with a drink, offering it. She accepted it with a small smile, still a little wary, with yesterday’s fight still fresh on her mind. 

“So, Emma, huh?” Victor asked curiously. “Where on earth did you find her?” _Real genuine guy_ , Emma had snorted. Regina tilted her head and let her eyes wander over the guests attending the game. 

“I was asking for directions, the night I lent your car. And there she was,” Regina answered, deliberately vague.

“So you just ran into her?” Victor said, eyebrows raised. “Well, that’s great.” His eyes followed Regina’s direction, saw nothing, and he turned back to her. “So, what does she do? Does she work?” he pressed on.

Regina eyed him through her lashes. “She’s in sales,” she offered. 

“Oh, that’s terrific. That’s good. What does she sell?” he wanted to know, and now, Regina was getting annoyed.

“What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? Why do you want to know?” she sharply said, and from Victor’s gaze, she knew that he’d received the warning. He lifted his hands in defense.

“Regina -- just… hear me out on this, okay? I’ve known you for a very long time, and uh… I’m seeing some... _differences_ in you this week. And I’m wondering if maybe this girl is the difference.” He waved behind her, his eyes flashing between her and something behind her. “Especially when I see her talking with August Booth. Geppetto’s son.”

Regina spun around on her heels and saw how Emma laughed about something August said, while awkwardly patting his horse on the neck. It definitely struck a nerve - her stomach squeezed, her heart dropped. She folded her arms, not liking the way Emma laughed with that idiot, who returned the smile easily. Irritation flared up inside. “I introduced them at dinner the other night,” she answered him, voice terse.

“So what, now they’re best friends?” Victor snorted in disbelief, shaking his head as Regina turned back to him, tearing her eyes away from the scene. Not that she needed to see it, because the image of Emma and August was etched into her brain and she gritted her teeth. “This girl appears from out of _nowhere_ ,” her attorney pressed on, “And now she’s talking to this guy whose company we’re trying to buy? That’s a little convenient, don’t you think?”

Regina shook her head, snorted in disbelief and irritation at both Victor and August. And Emma. Who had told her she didn’t like horses and now stood close to one - to August’s, which was somehow making it worse - and she felt robbed of a chance which she knew was ridiculous because she hadn’t offered Emma one in the first place. And Victor yammered on, which made her narrow her eyes at him and she quickly lost her patience.

“How do you know she hasn’t attached herself to you because she’s bringing information back to Geppetto?” Victor’s voice became louder as his agitation grew. “This stuff happens, Regina! Industrial espionage.”

“Victor,” Regina snorted in disbelief, at once fed up with his wrong accusations and speculations and thrown off guard by the amiability between Emma and August, which she hated, “She is not a spy. She’s a _prostitute_. I picked her up at Hollywood Boulevard in your car.”

The silence was deafening. 

“What?”

“Do you want me to fucking spell it out for you?” Regina spat.

Victor snorted, his face almost comical. His mouth opened and closed as if he was a fish on land. What’s more, Regina immediately regretted her words when his mouth twisted into a smile and he started to chuckle as if he’d been let in on a cruel joke. She pursed her lips as he snickered at her. “You know, you’re the only billionaire I know who goes looking for a bargain-basement streetwalker,” he laughed, unable to keep his voice down. 

She wanted to verbally - and really, not just verbally - lash out to him, but she heard senator Gold call out to her again. “I’m already sorry I told you,” she snapped at him before she turned with a professional smile to the senator waiting for her. She had a business and a precarious deal to think of, and she’d deal with Victor later.

~*~

After Emma’s shoes had been cleaned, she heard someone call her name and she was pleasantly surprised to see August. “August! I thought I’d seen you on that beast,” Emma smiled at him, carefully stepping closer to the horse, eyeing it warily, “though I’m a little surprised that you’re a horse dude.”

“A horse dude?” August snorted out a laugh, while he took over the reins from the groom, motioning Emma to come closer. “Well, thanks, I guess. What kind of dude would you’ve suspected me to be, then?”

Emma shrugged. “I could picture you as someone who loves motorcycles,” she told him. “I don’t know. Grow a beard, wear a black leather jacket, and drive a Harley, maybe?”

August looked amused. “I’ll have you know that I do have two motorcycles,” he said, “so you’re not wrong. Here, pat him like this. He likes it.” He showed her where to place her hand.

“I knew it,” Emma said in triumph, and they both laughed. She patted and stroked the horse awkwardly, all the while thinking that Regina would probably enjoy this way more than she would. But talking with August for a bit was nice. Sure, he was as rich as the other people here, and maybe he had a hidden agenda, but he was pleasant company, even though he came with a horse. 

When the break was over, a few minutes later, and August had to return to the game, she waved him off. She moved to a place closer to the game, finding shade under a tree, and saw how August swung himself in the saddle again. The game was about to begin, and she wondered if she could get a drink before it started. But before she could go and find one, she heard a voice behind her.

“Enjoying yourself, Emma?”

She tilted her head and gave Victor Whale a polite smile. “Yeah, sure,” she replied, feeling guarded instantly. Something about him felt off. He knew his type. Had come across many like him on the streets. The man was a sleazeball. He positioned himself next to her, a small smile that unnerved her a little, playing around his lips.

“Must be quite a change from Hollywood Boulevard,” the man smiled.

Emma’s smile disappeared immediately from the shock his words generated and her back went rigid. “What?”

“Yeah, Regina told me. Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” He eyed her, winking conspiring. Regina what? Her stomach dropped as she registered his words. Regina told him? Why would she ever? Highly confused, her eyes wandered over the crowd, suddenly desperate to find Regina’s to get some sort of explanation, but she couldn't find her and Whale continued, demanding her attention. “Listen. Maybe… you and I could get together sometime after Regina leaves.” He dragged the tip of his sunglasses over Emma’s shoulder, wiggled his eyebrows and she suppressed a flinch. “I’ll make it worth your while.” Who else had Regina told? Why, why, _why_? The question pounded in her head.

She felt numb, betrayed by Regina for revealing who she was and she couldn’t figure out why. Why was it necessary to dress up if she was revealing her background to everyone anyway? After everything, was it all a big joke? Insecurity and disappointment washed over her and she closed her eyes momentarily. “Yeah, sure,” she murmured automatically to Whale, a hint of sarcasm in her tone, “Why not.”

“We’ll just have to do that, then,” he hummed, missing the sarcasm, touching - no lustfully squeezing - her shoulder. She was disgusted by the little asshole and shook him off, but someone called his name and he turned and left. She couldn’t possibly wrap her head around the fact that Regina had called him a friend. The man was repulsive and if she could have, she’d have punched him in the face. But especially now that her secret was on the table and she didn't know who else knew, she didn’t want to draw attention to herself so she tried to collect herself, tried to keep it together and she smiled tightly before she stalked away.

Fortunately, the event was nearly over - she avoided both Regina and Victor for the remainder of it and went back to the car as soon as the announcer cheerfully announced the winner of the game, where Regina found her soon after. She smiled at Emma, but Emma turned her gaze away. Her insecurity, disappointment, and shock quickly gave way to anger and bitterness.

When Regina placed a hand on her back she shrugged it off, but Regina didn’t seem to notice as her phone went off. “Sorry,” Regina murmured, “I have to take it.”

It didn’t matter. Anger, frustration, and disappointment were raging through Emma’s body, and she didn’t want to be touched. She felt dirty, dirtier than she had in a long time. She could still feel Whale’s fingers on her shoulder and she shuddered in disgust. She knew how to deal with people like him, in her own environment. She had frozen here. But it wasn’t even the worst part of it all, she thought bitterly. Yesterday, she had told Regina that words didn’t hurt. And they really didn’t. Her skin was thick enough.

However, actions could still hurt - like the woman who had treated her like shit in the boutique. 

Like Regina telling everyone that she’d brought a hooker to the business party which was infinitely worse because Regina _knew_ how uncomfortable Emma had felt when they had arrived and she had completely disregarded those when she spilled her secret.

This felt like a betrayal. Humiliation burned in her stomach, pounded in her head. She wondered who else knew. 

She slipped into the limo and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold. Shivering, she stared out of the window, mouth downturned and a frown on her face. Regina put in her headphones to be able to type on her phone. Emma scoffed, which made Regina look up a little, a flash of worry in her eyes, but the conversation drew her attention back to her phone.

The call hadn’t ended when they arrived at the hotel. Emma immediately got out and Regina followed, eyes glued on the screen and barking orders. It was funny how all the pomp and circumstance of the hotel had lost its glamour within a couple of hours. What had Regina said before? _Money can only cover assholes with a thin layer of veneer._ She scoffed as she let her eyes wander over the people in the hotel lobby. She saw assholes everywhere. And one of them stepped into the elevator with her, still barking orders at her phone. Emma gritted her teeth. She felt so embarrassed, and she hadn’t felt this angry in a long, long time. And hurt - she felt hurt by the only person she had started to trust in a long time. Emma didn’t trust easily. Today had reminded her of why she didn't.

Only when she opened the door to the penthouse and Emma stomped in, Regina ended the call. “I’m sorry, I needed to take it.”

“Yeah,” Emma murmured, narrowing her eyes. “Whatever.” She turned away, stomped to the bedroom, and kicked her shoes off. Regina followed, a frown on her face.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Emma snapped, which made a frown appear on Regina’s face. 

“You’re not fine,” Regina retorted. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“You’re an asshole,” Emma barked, “That’s what’s wrong.” Then, she made her way to the adjourned bathroom and slammed the door shut. She looked at herself. Her eyes were flickering with anger. Reaching for the make-up remover and a cotton pad, she started to clean her face with jerky movements. She felt fake and one way to fix that was by removing the make-up, the _mask_ that wasn’t hers.

Regina quickly followed and yanked the door open. “Excuse me?” Regina seemed genuinely puzzled, but her voice had a dangerous tone now. Emma couldn’t care less.

“Just tell me one thing,” she snapped at the brunette through the mirror, forcibly rinsing her face. “Why’d you make me buy all these clothes, make me get all dressed up?” 

“The clothing was appropriate.” Regina still hadn’t caught up yet and frowned, and for some reason, that tensed Emma even further. She wasn’t even aware of what she’d done. Emma was fuming and ready to clarify.

“No. What I mean is, if you’re going to tell everyone that I’m a _hooker_ , why didn’t you let me wear my own clothes?” Her eyes were ablaze. 

“I did not-”

“In my _own_ clothes, when someone like that guy Whale comes up to me, I can handle it. I’m _prepared_.” She pushed Regina out of the way and left the bathroom.

Regina halted, but Emma didn’t notice as she strode away.

“I’m sorry, he shouldn’t have done that,” Regina said, slightly irritated. “But he’s my attorney. I’ve known him for ten years. He thought you were an industrial spy. He is clearly paranoid.” Emma heard the words but they were hardly an apology at all and she didn’t even know if she still wanted one. Her eyes stung, her stomach plummeted and continued to drop and she whirled around to face Regina.

“Did you get a good laugh out of it as well? ‘Look, there comes the hooker? You can dress her up, but you can’t take her anywhere? Give her a go when I’m done with her?’” Emma snorted. “So what, are you my pimp now?” she snapped, relentlessly suppressing the angry tears, spitting out the accusations that had been building up the entire way back to the penthouse. “You think you can pass me around your friends? I’m not some _toy_.”

“You’re not my toy,” Regina replied, getting worked up now as well. Emma strode away from her. “I know you’re not my- Emma. Emma!” the brunette barked, “I’m speaking to you. Come back here.”

Emma halted and whirled around, her thoughts tumbling over each other. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the skirt dance around her legs. She felt ridiculous now in this polka-dotted dress that was far, far away from her normal life. The clothing felt like a farce. The dress was mocking her. Telling her she could try to dress up like a swan, but she would forever be an ugly duckling underneath. Tears stung behind her eyes as she planted her fists on her hips as her eyes flashed angrily at Regina.

“I hate to point out the obvious,” Regina told her sharply, taking a step towards her but Emma immediately backed away. She could not bear Regina’s closeness right now. “But you are, in fact, a hooker.”

“Look who finally has the guts to call me by my official title. To her fucking attorney,” Emma sneered. 

“You are my employee. I hired you. You agreed on this.” Regina’s face flushed with anger now, too - somewhere in the back of her mind, Emma was surprised that it had lasted this long.

“That doesn’t mean you fucking own me, and can prostitute me to your fucking _friend_ , ” Emma seethed, and God, she wanted to punch something, “I decide who - I decide when!” A red haze of anger clouded her vision. “I say who!” She knew she was lashing out, overreacting, but it needed out, out, _out_ and it hurt like hell that Regina hadn't considered Emma at all in the matter. 

“I refuse to spend the next three days fighting with you,” Regina said, colder than Emma had seen before and she recoiled. “I said I was sorry, and I meant it. That should be the end of it.”

It wasn’t. It really wasn’t. Regina stepped over the incident as if it was something forgivable, and Emma just couldn’t. She couldn’t possibly spend the next three days with her. Emma swallowed, arms wrapped around herself now. She felt the humiliation burning inside and she just wanted to get away from here before her angry tears spilled from her eyes. “I’m sorry I ever met you,” she quietly said, before turning on her heels and disappearing into the bedroom. “I’m sorry I ever got into that stupid car,” she added, with a raised voice, and started to collect her spare possessions.

"As if you had so many more appealing options,” Regina sneered. 

“I’ve never had anyone make me feel as cheap as you did today,” Emma called back, grabbing her underwear, her old clothes and she left the rest, everything but the dress she was wearing because she sure as hell wasn’t going to change with Regina here. 

“Somehow, I find that very hard to believe,” Regina retorted with a snort.

Emma gasped. The words were dripping with sarcasm and ice and a cold shiver ran over her back. Suddenly, she could see how Regina had gotten her nickname. She’d seen hints of it before but never directed at her. And she hated herself for it, but the words hurt. She pulled out her own tattered bag from under the bed, pushed in her clothes and belongings, and hung it over her shoulder, walking past Regina, who had followed her into the bedroom. 

“Where are you going?” she demanded to know.

"I want my money,” Emma snapped back, “I want to get out of here.” She turned her back to her and waited, arms folded, trying to force her tears back. She couldn’t let them escape until she had left the building. Just a little while longer - God, she needed to get away from here. Her hands tingled with anger. She needed to hit something and thought she’d love to plant her fists in Victor Whale’s face, she really didn’t want to throw a punch at Regina. Her fists clenched and unclenched.

She wrapped her arms around herself as she felt the heavy silence following her words weighing down on her shoulders. It seemed to last forever before Regina’s movements behind her broke a little of the silence and she walked past her, grabbed her purse with stiff movements, took the bills out, and threw them onto the bed, next to where Emma was standing. Then, without a word, she left the bedroom and walked towards her desk, not turning around, not acknowledging her presence anymore. It was as if the temperature in the room had dropped below the freezing point.

Emma shivered, blinked quickly at the pile of bills casually thrown on the bed. She’d never seen so much money together in her life. Her eyes flashed to Regina’s back, still turned towards her and rigid. She breathed in deeply, before she let her gaze wander back to the money. She reached out for it, then hesitated, and pulled her hand back. 

She couldn’t take it. She had meant what she’d said earlier - she’d never felt so cheap. So _used._ And taking the money, well, that would make it even worse - that would... _validate_ everything. Her breath stuttered and she swallowed thickly. 

What’s more, taking the money would mean that everything had meant nothing - and it hadn’t. At least, not to Emma. Maybe that’s why it hurt as it did. And it’s why she needed to get the hell out of here. 

Her feet started moving towards the door, the stack of bills left behind on the bed. She’d manage another way, she knew. She always did. She didn’t say anything when she opened the door and closed it softly behind her, gritting her teeth when she pushed the elevator button for the last time. 

Or well, semi-last time. The elevator took forever to come up. “Come on,” she murmured, punching the button again, desperately wanting to get away. Out. Back to the neighborhood, where she knew what to expect. But of course, the elevator took forever to come up. Fate wasn’t kind on her, Emma desperately thought, eyes brimming with frustrated tears. Positivity be damned - it felt like she couldn’t get a break today.

Softly, the door to the penthouse opened and Emma froze, instinctively knowing that Regina had seen that she hadn’t taken the money - what other reason could there be for her to step out into the hallway? Or, maybe she just wanted to make sure that she was really leaving, she thought while biting on the inside of her cheek. She kept her gaze tightly to the elevator doors when Regina walked up to her, stubbornly refusing to look at her. And when Regina got too close, she stepped away from her, noticing how the brunette halted right away.

“I’m sorry,” Regina said, more quietly and without the anger or sarcasm she had displayed moments ago. “I… I wasn’t prepared to answer questions about us.” Emma didn’t blink. Didn’t look at Regina as the brunette continued, keeping her eyes stubbornly fixed at the elevator doors with her hands wrapped around herself, but her heartbeat picked up. There was no us, she scoffed internally. There was a hooker, and someone who hired her, Emma bitterly thought. She had meant what she’d told her yesterday, in the bath. She knew it wasn’t forever, and that was okay. She’d just hoped it would have ended better than with this humiliation.

“I was an idiot, and I was cruel. I didn’t mean it,” Regina continued. 

Emma swallowed, keeping her arms crossed in front of her chest. She still didn’t look up.

“I don’t… I don’t want you to go,” Regina said softly. “Will you _please_ stay the week?”

“Why?” Emma said, voice nothing more but a whisper, still staring at the door. The anger and betrayal were still fresh on the surface, but this apology and this request felt genuine and she sure as hell couldn’t figure out why. “Why would you even want that?”

“I... saw you talking to August Booth,” Regina said simply. “I didn’t like it.”

Emma frowned and sighed impatiently. “We were just talking. Wasn’t that what you hired me to do? _Business mingling?_ ” She finally turned her head and glared at Regina with barely suppressed exasperation. “We talked about horses and fucking motorcycles.”

Regina scoffed. “I didn’t like it,” she repeated, staring at her intently. Regina’s face was still unreadable, much like the first time they had met, and Emma’s eyes wandered over Regina’s features, desperately searching for… something. But she just stared at her.

And the realization suddenly hit Emma like a train. Had Regina been _jealous_? She blinked because that specific thought was ridiculous. Regina had hired her because she didn’t want the emotional hassle. Well, Emma was feeling really emotional right now. But apparently... so did Regina. Or did she? She stared right back at her. 

And Regina wanted - asked her to stay. She swallowed.

The elevator bell dinged, and the elevator operator - Clark, Emma remembered, stepped out. “Down?” he asked with a small smile.

Emma turned her head and looked at him, before her gaze flashed to Regina again, who locked her gaze with her own. The question she’d asked before lingered in her eyes. Did she still want to stay the week? Emma weighed her options. Her trust had been harshly violated - could she step over it and could they work through it? Regina had pushed her own pride aside to apologize - well, to the best of her abilities, anyway, but was Emma capable of doing the same?

Her eyes turned back to Clark, who raised his eyebrows, and Emma exhaled, shaking her head at the elevator operator. The man frowned a little but stepped back without a question, and the door closed.

Emma closed her eyes and sighed. “You hurt me,” she said softly, before turning to Regina.

“Yes.” The only word was filled with remorse - or was it? Maybe it only appeared to be because Emma wanted it, but it was food for thought for later contemplation.

“Don’t do it again.” Emma caught Regina’s dark brown eyes and held her gaze. Regina nodded, only once. 

Then, Emma sighed, turned, and walked around Regina to return to the penthouse.

~*~

“What did you want to be as a child?”

Emma smiled. “I wanted to be a butterfly.”

The rest of the afternoon had been a little awkward. After they had returned inside, Regina had called Whale and had threatened that if he would ever reveal Emma’s background, he would not be able to work as an attorney again. All of them - Regina, Whale, and Emma - knew that Regina could easily live up to it. Regina had promised her that the attorney was the only one who she had told. And she had apologized again when Emma had revealed how hard it was to trust people. And this time, Emma was sure she didn’t imagine the remorse. 

Still, it felt different in the penthouse, after their fight. There was a distance now that hadn’t been there before. As if the incident, their outburst had shocked them both and they were now trying to find out where they stood.

And Emma had been in need of some serious self-reflection. Because today’s ordeals hadn't just distorted the... whatever she and Regina had, but had also caused severe cracks in a mask that she’d worn since her childhood - one that she had made her own for so long that she had almost forgotten it was one in the first place. It was a mask that told the outside world that everything was fine, the mask that tried to stay positive, no matter what, because she had to tell herself she could get out of this life at some point. The mask had made it easier to develop a thick skin over the years. The mask she hadn’t wanted to wear as long as she already had, because she had been convinced she could build a better life quicker. But she realized that, once you get used to a certain way of life, it’s hard to move away from it. Because it’s easier to stick to the life you know, to the life in which you know what you can expect. The years on and around Hollywood Boulevard had been far from easy, but they had been predictable, which had given her a, perhaps somewhat false, sense of security. 

The past few days had both given her a glimpse into a completely different life and had stretched her comfort zone to far beyond comfortable limits. It had shaken her core. She didn’t belong here. She was just a temporary addition to Regina’s court - a queen’s mistress, she had to remind herself. And she would do damn well to accept that and return to her duties.

Yes, she still had lingering feelings of hurt, insecurity, even betrayal, and she felt vulnerable and needed to give those feelings a place. And while she tried doing just that, she had a hard time letting Regina come closer. She had to, and soon, Emma reminded herself, because well - that’s what Regina was paying her for, right? But Regina, after the first time she had tried to reach out and Emma had flinched, had given her space, had told her to take a shower, a bath, whatever she needed, and had retreated to work and had left Emma alone with her thoughts. She had given her the distance to work it out - and work it out she had to.

The shower felt refreshing, relaxing, and she didn’t really know how long it had taken her but when she tentatively reappeared in the living room, wrapped in a thick, white bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her head, the bellboy had just brought dinner. “I thought you might not want to go down,” Regina had said with a hesitant smile, “so I ordered up.” It felt like a peace offering and Emma readily took it. They enjoyed it in relative silence, and as Regina withdrew to her desk after it, Emma spent some time watching a movie, trying to collect her thoughts in the meantime. 

When the movie had ended, she had scraped her throat, which made Regina look up. “It’s late,” Emma had said softly, “Are you coming to bed?” And Regina had smiled or at least, her eyes had crinkled a little before she nodded. Despite her whirling feelings, Emma noticed that she was relieved that Regina had complied and followed. 

Now, they were both lying on their sides, dressed in their respective nightgowns, facing each other with a comfortable distance between them, and Regina, her arm tucked under her head, had asked her the question of what she had wanted to be. The question had made Emma realize that she knew a lot more about Regina than vice versa, and it looked like Regina wanted to right that wrong. Emma tucked her hand under her pillow.

“A butterfly?” Regina repeated questioning, a slight frown on her face.

Emma smiled. “Yeah, a pretty purple peaceful butterfly. I always figured… they are beautiful. And free. They can fly. So I imagined myself to be one, and I’d fly and fly and my life would be simple until it was my time to die, I guess.” She shrugged as her eyes wandered over Regina’s face, before catching her gaze again.

"They're also very fragile."

"Then I'd just have to be very careful where I would go," Emma said, a lopsided grin on her face.

A short pause followed. “That sounds like… an uneventful life, though. Almost boring.”

“Yeah, well,” Emma said with a terse smile, “My life was eventful enough at that point. I’d just been dumped by the girl who’d promised to always stay with me and be my best friend forever.”

“Hm,” Regina offered, an acknowledgment that she heard what Emma said, but didn’t interrupt. 

“I was thirteen,” Emma revealed, because even though all that had happened today, for some reason she wanted Regina to understand. “I’d just ran away from the foster home I stayed in because my foster dad’s hands were a little too loose. And then I met her, a few years older than me. She was the first girl I ever loved. She turned out to be a total nothing.” The hand under the pillow clenched into a fist at the memory. “She'd run away from very wealthy parents and just wanted her parents’ attention. Social services found us, called her parents, and brought me back.”

“The second was worse.” Emma smiled a little painfully. “My foster mother called me a bum magnet. If there was a bum, boy or girl, within a 50-mile radius, I was completely attracted to them. Later, I came to understand that I simply clung to everyone who gave me _some_ affection. It wasn't love. It was attention.” 

Regina smiled in sympathy as Emma continued her tale. “But anyway, that’s how I ended up here. I followed bum number three after I ran away from my last foster family. Apparently, he'd stolen some watches which he had wanted me to pick up but before I could, he somehow got himself arrested.”

Regina didn’t say anything.

“So here I was, no money, no friends. No bum.” She smiled lopsidedly before silence fell between them.

“And then you chose this as your profession?” Regina asked softly.

Emma shook her head. “I worked at a couple of fast food places. Parked cars at wrestling. Waited some tables. But I couldn’t make the rent. And I had nowhere to go. I’d aged out of the foster system, so there even wasn’t any home to go back to.” Her eyes wandered from Regina’s face. “Then I met Cleo. She was a hooker and made it sound so great.” She swallowed thickly at the memory. “So… one day I just... did it. And I cried the whole time. But then I got some regulars, and… You know, it’s not like anyone plans this.” She shrugged. “You don’t wake up one day and decide that this is what you want to do with your life. It’s not your childhood dream. You just… take the cards you’re dealt and make the best of it.”

A silence fell between them.

“You could be so much more,” Regina quietly retorted, her voice slightly croaked.

Emma appreciated the gesture, but shook her head lightly and sighed. “People put you down enough, you start to believe it.”

“I think you are a very bright, very special woman,” the brunette insisted, voice firmer now.

The corners of Emma’s mouth curled up. “The bad stuff is easier to believe,” she murmured. “You ever notice that?”

Regina’s eyes darkened, and Emma noticed a flash of pain on her face. Yeah, Regina knew. And Emma knew that she shouldn’t feel like a lesser person, just because she didn’t have the same chances in life as other people had, but it always felt easier to do simply that. “But thanks,” Emma added with a half-smile.

“What happened to Cleo?”

Emma’s shoulder tensed a little. Cleo, despite her motherly affection for Emma, had had a lot of problems, one of them being crack, which, at one point, had proven fatal. Emma had found her when she had gotten home after work. “She died,” Emma murmured. “Kinda why I never touch drugs.”

“You’ve been on your own since?”

“Yeah, for a couple of years. I mean, I do know the people around my block. We look out for each other, a little at least and as far as we can. But I’ve learned it’s best never to get close to people. They always leave, one way or another.”

Regina hummed in agreement. “Indeed they do.” 

Emma closed her eyes for a second. The emotions and outbursts today had exhausted her. She breathed in deeply, exhaled again, and opened her eyes again.

“Go to sleep, Emma,” Regina said quietly. Emma watched the woman for a moment, her eyes unreadable again, and briefly, she wondered what Regina thought right now. She pulled her hand out from under her pillow and reached out to her. Without hesitation, Regina extended her own and laced her fingers with Emma’s. Somehow, it was comforting that she didn’t hesitate and almost automatically, Emma shuffled a little closer. She inhaled deeply, filling herself with the scent of clean sheets and something that was specifically Regina. Regina’s thumb softly ran over the back of Emma’s hand, and Emma felt herself relax.

It was indeed best to never get close to people. But the final thought that crossed her mind as she felt her mind slip away in the darkness, that this time, it might be too late already to stay away.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina didn’t sleep very well. After Emma had fallen asleep, she had simply stared at the blonde while she mulled over what had happened. Victor’s asshole behavior and her own response to it, leading to Victor confronting Emma and the blonde’s reaction. The way she and Emma had fought and her own stubbornness, which had nearly driven Emma away. 

Truth to be told, if Regina hadn’t seen the money laying on the bed, she probably would have let Emma go. Another one bites the dust, she had bitterly lamented after she had thrown it on the bed and left the bedroom, waiting for Emma to leave. She should have known that Emma would leave, she thought - apparently, she couldn’t even keep paid personnel. Because that’s the horrible person she was.

But the fact was that Emma _had_ left the money behind. Right after the front door closed, Regina had swirled around, angry and ready to break something - _anything_ . But before she could smash one of the expensive vases decorating the penthouse, or break the goddamn mirror that was taunting her with her own near-despair, her eyes had fallen on the stack of green bills she had thrown on the bed in fury, just moments before. It must have meant _something_ because the next moment she found herself going after the blonde. Had almost begged her to stay. And she had apologized.

Regina Mills never apologized. And she never _ever_ begged.

But she had, this time, because the abandoned money had stirred something inside her - a mixture of panic and warmth and flushed cheeks and a raised heartbeat - a very unfamiliar combination. She wasn’t ready to investigate what it meant, she only knew that she hadn’t wanted it to end like that. Not with Emma. And it hadn't.

Emma clearly needed space after and Regina had given it to her. Something fundamentally had changed. Emma had withdrawn, pulled away, had lost some of her carefree nature and part of Regina wanted to fix that - only she didn't know how. So she did what she always did and had thrown herself onto her work, while Emma went her own way until bedtime.

Relief had washed over her when Emma had asked her to join her. Which was ridiculous because, in the end, Regina was still paying Emma to be here, but it was important that Emma felt at ease, too. Maybe that's why she had asked about her youth.

Regina had never thought she would have been interested in someone’s history. She usually didn't care about people's sob stories. But Emma's history made Regina understand her a little better. And the fact that Emma had wanted to share her history already made Regina exhale in relief. Not everything was broken. She hadn’t broken everything yet. 

Emma would stay for another couple of days. After that, Regina knew she would have to let her go, even though that thought alone made her feel like her stomach dropped over and over again. She swallowed as she watched the still woman next to her.

Regina’s eyes were glued to Emma’s face. There was a slight crease in Emma’s brow and she was tempted to touch it, to brush over it until it vanished, but she was afraid Emma would wake. She didn’t raise her hand. Instead, she held on tightly to Emma’s hand, as if it was a beacon to keep her afloat. Their fingers were still entwined. She'd slept for maybe a few restless hours, but her internal clock woke her up around 4.30. Surprised, she had noticed Emma had shuffled a little closer. 

She breathed shallowly, was reluctant to slide out of the bed and break the connection. But an idea had taken root in her mind and she would have to pull some strings to make it happen. It wasn’t work-related and everything Emma-related, which meant that she would need all the time she could get today. 

Maybe part of it was to assuage her own feelings of guilt. Maybe she couldn't fix this, but that wouldn't stop her from trying. Emma deserved better than the way both Victor _and_ herself had treated her. Regina hadn’t been ready to answer questions about them like she had told Emma before, but she didn’t want Emma to believe that she wasn’t enough, or that Regina didn’t want to be seen with Emma in public. She wanted to set that record straight. She wanted to prove to Emma that she _could_ move in the highest circles and still outshine them all. And she thought she knew how she could do that.

So she got up, gently disentangled her fingers from Emma’s which caused a soft whimper from the blonde, but Emma didn’t wake up. It was still dark outside and these past days had proven Emma to be someone who slept in - not a surprise, Regina thought, because of her… profession. She probably stayed up the night, usually. It irritated her, but she knew she had no right. At least this week, Emma didn’t have to. After that… Regina didn’t want to think about that.

Regina spent a few hours working in the penthouse and decided to go to the office early. Emma hadn’t woken up yet and Regina left her a note on her pillow to let her know where she had gone before she slipped out of the penthouse with a tiny smile around her lips. She even nodded at the hotel manager, Mrs. Lucas, who blinked back in surprise and then waved her hand to alert Gus that Regina was on her way to the limo.

Throwing herself onto her work, she made a few necessary phone calls in between, and she texted Emma she had a surprise for her. 

Emma’s response came swift. _What is it?_

 _If I would tell you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, dear,_ Regina typed back, amused. A frowning emoji was Emma’s reply, but her assistant called for her so she didn’t have time to reply anymore. 

She left the office earlier than usual because she had to make a few stops in between the office and the penthouse. When she took her briefcase, two evening gowns she kept as spares in her office, and announced her departure, Victor wasn’t amused at all, and he followed her into the elevator area with a frown.

“You’re going back to your hooker?” he sneered, and it stopped her dead in her tracks. Her eyes calmly wandered over his features while she violently suppressed her fury, and she knew that he’d realized he crossed a line right away because his eyes nervously flicked away from her face.

“Watch yourself, Victor,” she had quietly warned him, inwardly seething and gritting her teeth before she had turned and left, deeming him not worthy to give another glance. He was a great attorney for the company, but she was not going to let him intrude on her personal life and he’d do well to remember that. He hadn't overstepped before like this, and he surely wasn't going to do that now.

Gus took her to her next address - a jewelry store she often visited. Only when she left it with a flat package, Regina started to feel nervous. Not because of the box she was carrying, but she was suddenly worried about her entire plan. She didn’t even know if Emma was going to like it and since it felt like… well, since it _was_ some sort of peace offering, she needed it to be perfect. 

When she entered the penthouse, the evening gowns from her office in garment bags over her arm, and after placing the jeweler's package on the table in the hall, she found Emma on the balcony, staring out over the city. “Hello,” she greeted her, a little formally, not sure about either herself or how Emma would respond to her, but Emma turned her head and smiled a little tentatively.

“Hi.”

“So, about this surprise,” Regina said, never one for small talk, "We have to dress up for it." She folded her hands over her stomach as if that could suppress the nervous flutter inside her belly. 

Emma’s smile faltered, yesterday’s memory fresh on her mind and a frown shaped her forehead. “We’re going out,” Regina quickly added. “Just the two of us. There’s no business meeting, I just…” Her voice wavered and she waved her hand helplessly. “I just want to take you somewhere.”

“Where?” Emma sounded a little guarded.

“Well,” Regina said, “It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you? But it’s… classy. I didn’t know if you’d bought… I brought the evening gowns from my office. I’m sure one of them will fit.”  
  
“Oh. I have one.” The tone was a little flat.   
  
Regina blinked in surprise. “You do?”

“Yeah, I bought one, two days ago. With the rest of the stuff. They said I could return it if I didn’t need it but…” Emma shrugged, still not entirely comfortable.

“Look,” Regina said, suddenly unsure and getting a bit cranky in the process. “We don’t have to go. I just wanted to do… something nice for you.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

“Well, I’m your… employee, ain’t I? You do this for all your employees?”  
  
Regina narrowed her eyes. “No.” A silence fell between them and it weighed on Regina’s shoulders, and she impatiently sighed. Apparently, she had made a wrong assumption in thinking that this would be something that Emma would appreciate. “Look, I just- nevermind. Forget it.”  
  
“Okay!” Emma hastily said. “No. I mean, it’s fine. I just... I'm not used to people just doing something nice for me. There's always something behind it. I’ll… go get ready.” There was a lopsided, yet strained smile on her face and she stepped off the balcony, inside the living room. Tentatively, she reached out for Regina, who was surprised to feel the touch on her shoulder. “Didn’t take you as a party girl,” she joked a little stiffly, and Regina breathed.

“I’m not. Go. We leave in an hour,” Regina said, still a little grumpy. Then, she turned to pick one of the dresses for herself as Emma retreated to the bedroom. 

They both didn’t need an hour. Regina had changed in the living room, into a midnight blue dress that hugged her slim figure and reached her ankles. A split up to her mid-thigh made her able to walk in it. The fabric was soft like velvet, and it caressed her body, and she had always liked the way it showed a subtle hint of her cleavage. Her shoulders were bare, and she wore matching gloves, reaching up to her elbows. This one had never failed to impress. 

A soft click behind her announced that Emma was arriving, too, and Regina, still trying to get one of the earrings in, turned around to face Emma. And her appearance knocked the wind from Regina’s lungs. She inhaled sharply as Emma shyly stepped forward, ill at ease in the black, ankle-long evening gown. The front was pretty modest - it had a wide collar which left the shoulders almost entirely bare, but the long sleeves reached her wrists. However, when she turned, she revealed a naked back all the way down to her lower back which made Regina’s insides twist, and she swallowed thickly. The dress was tight, but the fabric was comfortable enough to move and walk in and when she did, the loose skirt danced around her ankles. She wore her curls out of her face, a braid from the front till the back of her head, and her curls fell like a waterfall on her back.

“Is this okay?” Emma asked, awkwardly waving her hands at her own appearance, and Regina, who realized she had been staring without saying anything - God, she almost had to pick up her jaw from the floor - quickly stepped forward.

“It’s okay. It’s very okay,” she assured her, voice a little hoarse. She reached a side table, where the jeweler's box was waiting.

Emma smiled nervously. “Where are we going?”  
  
“It’s a surprise,” Regina smiled again, stubbornly not wanting to reveal anything while turning to take the box from the table, and she showed it to her. “Wear this.”  
  
“What’s that?” Curiously, Emma leaned forward to see.  
  
“Something I loaned.” She opened the box, revealing a necklace decorated with the tiniest diamonds, holding a circle-shaped pendant, in which a diamond swan rested. Emma blinked a few times, then looked up. 

“It’s beautiful.”  
  
“Not as beautiful as you, dear,” Regina said with a small smile, taking it out of the box. It was quite heavy.

Emma flashed her a small smile. “Smooth. Very smooth,” she quietly said, still impressed with the necklace. Regina took it out of the box and motioned Emma to turn around. As she turned, she asked, “If you were going to buy this, how much would it cost?”

“Quarter of a million.” She reached over Emma’s head, rested the necklace on her collar bones, and went on with fastening the clip, briefly catching Emma’s eyes in the mirror.  
  
Emma’s eyes grew wide and she chuckled in disbelief, and Regina smirked at her reaction. “Dollars?”

“Yes.” Once the necklace was in place, Regina’s hands gently brushed over Emma’s shoulders. She turned her around and nodded in satisfaction. Emma’s hand flew up to the necklace, touched it carefully.

“You’re not afraid I’m going to lose it?”  
  
Regina scoffed, eyebrows slightly raised. “Of course not.” What a ridiculous assumption. She took Emma’s hands and squeezed softly. “Let’s go.” She offered her an arm and Emma took it readily. She noticed the stiffness in Emma’s back as they left the penthouse and took the elevator down. Her free hand reached out to squeeze Emma’s fingers and Emma’s eyes shot up, a little nervous. Regina held her gaze, smiled, and nodded almost invisibly, and Emma exhaled softly as the ping announced they had reached the ground floor.

“People are staring,” Emma murmured.

“They are,” Regina whispered back and Emma’s hand flew to her neck, covering the necklace. Regina brought her lips to Emma’s ear. “They admire you because you look stunning. They envy you, want to be you,” she whispered. “Look at them. Raise your head and nod.”  
  
Emma did, as her grip around Regina’s fingers tightened. But as Regina had already seen, and Emma now started to realize, was that yes, people were watching, but they weren’t disapproving. On the contrary. They were openly admiring them. _Her_. Pride welled in Regina’s chest and it startled her briefly because it wasn’t something she experienced often -- if at all. And with her pride came a possessiveness that unsettled her equally as the pride had, mere moments before. She tightened the grip around Emma’s hand, leading her through the lobby with a raised chin. Her eyes met Mrs. Lucas’, who nodded to her, bowing her head lightly. A smile tugged on Regina’s lips as she regally lowered her head in acknowledgment. 

The limo was already waiting for them, and Gus opened the door for them. Regina let Emma get into the car first, and when the door closed and the sounds of the outside world were silenced, Emma sighed softly. 

“What is it?” Regina asked. 

Emma waved her hand at their appearances. “I know none of this is real,” Emma said. Regina felt her shoulders tense, but before she could retort, Emma looked up, eyes shimmering. “But the impression is. You… This all made me feel special and that’s more than I had expected. And if I forget to say this later on,” she whispered, “I want you to know that I’ve had a great evening.”

Regina stayed silent, but her lips curled up a little. Her stomach squeezed as Emma’s fingers tentatively sought hers. She remembered the conversation from a few days ago. Emma deserved so much more than the life she’d had so far. And she’d said that nobody would ever take this away from her. Regina wanted to make this memorable. Special. She wanted Emma to feel special. She deserved that much.

They stopped in front of Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, home of the LA Opera. Emma’s eyes widened as Gus stopped as close to the main entrance as he could, and he rounded the car to open the door. Impressed, Emma looked up to the grand building. With a soft hand on her lower back, her gloved fingers caressing Emma’s skin, Regina guided her inside.

Still a little wobbly on heels and insecure about her surroundings, Emma misstepped, but Regina’s hold immediately intensified to hold her up. Emma’s warmth enveloped her, making her a little short of breath. “I’ve got you,” she murmured, and she felt a shiver going through Emma’s body in response. Emma’s green eyes found her, held her gaze for a second, and then turned her head back to the majestic building in front of them.

“You’re taking me to the opera?” Emma murmured. Long pillars rose up in front of her, and behind them, a wall of windows rose up. Three impressive chandeliers shone brightly inside. Emma scraped her throat, swallowed, and lifted her chin. 

“Yes,” Regina replied, watching her with a combination of fondness and amusement. Upon entering the reception area, they were immediately greeted by a host and led up the stairs, into the Founder’s Circle area, where they sat down in the front of the balcony. Emma’s eyes slid over the interior of the relatively modern theater hall as Regina leaned back into her seat. She didn’t like the depth in front of them and instinctively tried to get as far away from it as she could.

Emma noticed and she raised an eyebrow at her. “If you’re afraid of heights why do you get seats up here?”

“Because they’re the best,” Regina replied, handing her a program. Emma briefly looked at her. 

“Madama Butterfly?” she asked, surprised. Regina nodded once. 

“I thought you’d appreciate the title,” she said, and the tone of her voice was more tentative than she liked. “You’re either going to love it or hate it. The opera is in Italian, but you’ll feel the story inside of you as they sing.”

“And there’s a summary in here,” Emma grinned, looking at the program. Regina nodded, softly squeezing her fingers as Emma’s eyes flew over the program and back up to her, glimmering brightly. It took Regina’s breath away and it made her stomach ache for… something. Something specifically Emma. But there wasn’t time to contemplate, as the lights dimmed and the curtain went up.

Regina had seen the opera a couple of times in various theaters and with various singers already, but this time it was definitely the most amusing of them all. Regina divided her time to follow the singers and observe Emma, the latter being the absolute highlight of the evening. Her facial expressions, emotions, and responses to the show were a feast to watch as Madama Butterfly was swept off her feet by Lieutenant Pinkerton, their marriage, and the way she was renounced by her family. 

The first act ended. “Do you like it?” Regina whispered, a little unsure because of how still Emma had watched the first part. 

Emma nodded. “I thought I wouldn’t understand it because it’s in Italian, but it’s so…” She waved her hand helplessly, unable to find a suitable word. But Regina felt the same, for different reasons. 

Regina smiled, taking her hand in her own. “I know,” she said, absentmindedly caressing her hand with her own thumb. 

The story continued with the second act three years later, revealing how Pinkerton left Butterfly behind, and how people around her tried to convince her to marry again while Butterfly just wanted to wait, and then, news came that he would return. Emma gasped when it was revealed that Butterfly gave birth to his child and would wait up the entire night. But then, when he finally did, it was revealed that Pinkerton married again and he and his new wife had come to take her child. Emma shook her head in disbelief as the man backed away from telling her this, leaving it up to others. “Coward,” Emma murmured. Regina chuckled. Butterfly finally caved, agreeing that the pair could raise her child but only if he would face her. But just before he arrived, she stabbed herself. And when the knife clattered on the floor and she reappeared, staggering, kissing her child goodbye, Regina saw the tears in Emma’s eyes as Butterfly collapsed and Pinkerton rushed in, too late. Butterfly had died.

When the curtain fell for the final time, Emma sat silently in her seat, until she became aware of the movement around her. She wanted to get up, but Regina’s hand stopped her. “Wait until the rest leaves,” she said softly, taking her hand. “Take a moment to process.”

Emma did. And when the theater quieted down as most of the people had left, she turned to face Regina. “Thank you,” she said, tears on her cheeks. “This night was beautiful.”

“I’m glad,” Regina hummed, before rising from her seat and offering her hand. Emma placed her fingers in Regina’s palm and slowly got up, eyes wandering over the décor of the theater as if she wanted to take it in to never forget. 

Emma was silent, a little dazed. Her forehead held a small frown, but Regina didn’t know what it meant and she didn’t want to ask about it, either, because she didn’t want to break the precarious bubble that surrounded them this evening. It was special, she thought as the limo brought them back to the penthouse. _She_ was special. Regina shook her head lightly at the thought and her eyes lowered to their still entwined fingers. Her gaze remained there until they pulled up at the hotel.

The lobby was almost abandoned when they arrived. It was close to midnight already, but neither of them wanted to go to bed just yet. “Do you want to play a game?” Regina asked, and Emma looked up. 

“What kind of game?”

“There’s a game of chess here. Do you play?”  
  
Emma shook her head. “Never learned how to. But maybe… you want to teach me?”

“Of course.” 

So they set up the board, and Regina started to explain the basics. But either Emma was distracted, or tired, or something else, because she was horrible. Normally, Regina did not have the patience for this kind of antics, but apparently, she had the patience to explain it again and again to the blonde sitting opposite of her. And then, Emma snickered at her next move and okay, Regina frowned, maybe she _had_ understood and she was just messing with Regina to draw a reaction out of her - and Regina’s lips curved into a smile. 

“Why don’t we finish this tomorrow?” Regina said finally, well after midnight. “I have to get up early for work.”

Emma stared at the chessboard for a moment, and then raised her head. Her green eyes shimmered in the dimmed lights. “Why don’t you not go to work tomorrow?” she asked. “Take the day off.”

Regina frowned. “Me? Not going to work?” She answered, surprised. 

“Yeah.”

She thought about it. The takeover was in a critical phase but right now, there wasn’t much she could do. Victor and the others had it under control and she still had her phone with her if something would come up. And besides...

“Well. I guess I _do_ own the company.” Regina eyed her thoughtfully. 

Emma smiled victoriously. “I mean, we still can go to bed,” she said, a promise in her eyes. “There’s another game we can play,” she said, her voice suddenly darker than before while standing up, her hands loosely on her hips and her head a little tilted. A pleasant shiver ran over Regina’s spine and her mouth went dry, and she pushed her own chair backward. 

“I’m not going to say no to that.”

~*~

The following morning, Emma woke up earlier than usual, but something was… off? Her groggy mind needed a little while before she realized what it was, exactly. 

She wasn’t alone in the bed. Emma turned her head towards the source of warmth next to her. Since she’d arrived, she had woken up alone every morning. Regina had been up every time - until now, apparently. And not only that, she had snuggled up against Emma - her back was pressed to Emma’s side and her head rested on Emma’s stretched-out arm, fingers tightly laced together. Regina Mills was a cuddler. Emma smiled lazily. Who would’ve thought? She rolled over until she spooned Regina. She snaked a hand around her waist, rested it against Regina’s belly. The brunette muttered something, then sighed deeply, and relaxed. Emma smiled against her shoulder, savoring the quiet moment. The contentedness she experienced was almost unbearably warm in her chest.

Emma nuzzled Regina’s hair and breathed in deeply, inhaling Regina’s scent. She was relaxed, at ease. Something she hadn’t been in a very long time. It was a sharp contrast to yesterday morning when she woke up to an empty penthouse with a note on the pillow. The note said that Regina had left, and wouldn’t return until early evening. And it was for the best because the unsettling events from the polo game and their aftermaths needed some contemplation.

Not that she had figured it out entirely during the day. But then Regina had come back with evening gowns and she had taken her to the opera. She had wanted to spend time with her without any other obligation. It wasn’t just the opera and its heartbreaking story that had touched her, but also that Regina had gone out of her way to arrange it without wanting anything in return but for Emma to have a great time. Emma would have been content with a beer at the bar downstairs if she wanted to take her out or make it up to her, but Regina did things differently. Of course she did, Emma snorted softly. She really was something else. And in her own way, as much over the top as it was, she had created a magical evening that pulled on Emma's heartstrings. It touched Emma as much as it rattled her. Regina Mills surprised her every time. Each time she thought she knew what moved the woman, she did something else. She was intriguing. And, she should well remember, way, _way_ out of her league.

But a stubborn part of Emma couldn’t retreat behind the safety of her mask, couldn’t put the walls back up. She pressed a kiss on Regina’s shoulder, and her hand gently caressed Regina’s stomach. Another soft sigh escaped Regina’s lips. She stirred slightly, and the changed breathing pattern let Emma know that she was slowly waking up. Regina’s body tensed as she stretched out like a cat, against Emma’s side, while she turned to lay on her back, but still snuggled against Emma. Emma didn’t mind at all, as her hand wandered over Regina’s belly. A warm feeling settled in the pit of her stomach when her eyes met sleepy brown ones. God, it was unfair how beautiful she looked, even when she just woke up. “Morning,” she murmured. “You overslept.”

“Did I?” Regina said, half-whispering from sleep, voice a little crooked. “I thought I was taking the day off.”

“Well, yeah,” Emma said, “but I didn’t know if you were still up for that.” She found herself keeping her breath until Regina sleepily blinked.  
  
“I suppose I am.”  
  
Emma grinned and exhaled. “I didn’t know you were such a cuddler in bed.”

Regina closed her eyes and scowled. “I’ll murder you if you ever say that in public,” she huffed. Emma chuckled, while her fingers continued to draw patterns on Regina’s stomach. Regina made a sound that was very similar to a purring cat, before she asked, “What do you want to do today?”

“I don’t know,” Emma replied.

A soft crease appeared in Regina’s forehead. “You don’t know?”  
  
“Nope.” She smiled as Regina’s frown grew deeper. “We’ll just see where the day takes us.”

Regina observed her quietly, and Emma hoisted herself up to lean on an elbow, and she looked down on Regina, slightly exasperated. “Is everything you do carefully calculated in advance?”

“Mostly, yes.”

“What’s the fun in that?”

“I like to know what to expect.”

“Today, you won’t. And neither will I.” Emma smiled and tilted her head when Regina’s frown lingered. “Come on, live a little. Do you trust me?”

Regina’s eyes narrowed for a second, and Emma realized that it was a loaded question, to begin with. She’d meant it playfully, but now, with the answer still afoot, she noticed she kept her breath until Regina nodded once, and immediately, she felt a surge of relief flooding through her body. Impulsively, she leaned forward and kissed the frown on Regina’s forehead, before she rolled away and slipped out from under the duvet. “Come on, my queen,” she said, bowing deeply as she stood next to the bed, “Adventures await.” Regina snorted unladylike, but she, too, got up, and as she reached for her phone to inform the office she wasn’t going to be there, Emma took the phone and called the reception. She had some ideas of what they could do today.

She quickly got dressed in dark grey jeans and a red and black checkered blouse-dress that reached just past her mid-thighs, and she took a small belt to tie around her waist. The best of it all was that she could wear sneakers today instead of heels - those shoes were murder weapons on themselves. Her poor feet. When she turned, she shook her head at Regina’s outfit, who was dressed in a black business suit, white blouse, and heels, albeit not such high stilts as she wore the day before. Well, whatever she wanted, right?

They left the penthouse, took the elevator down and Emma went to the reception, telling Regina to wait. Emma picked up a small backpack but when she returned to the brunette, she noticed Regina’s uneasiness. For Regina, surrendering control must be an alien concept so allowing Emma to take the lead meant something. At least, that’s what Emma figured. “Relax,” she murmured, slipping her hand into Regina’s. “Let’s discover the city, shall we?”

And off they went, without a decent plan. They walked around through streets and small parks, while people on their way to work rushed along. When the morning rush quieted down, Emma stole sideways glances at Regina to see how she was dealing with not going to work, but she seemed to have accepted her fate. “What do you want to do for lunch?”

Regina turned her head and looked at Emma. “You choose,” she said, after a pause, and Emma’s lips curled up immediately. "Got it," she cheerfully said, a tone of voice that instantly seemed to worry Regina. They were walking through an area that wasn’t unfamiliar to Emma, and she knew exactly where to go. "Let's go."

Fifteen minutes later, Regina stared at her, horrified, as Emma ordered two grilled-cheese sandwiches from one of her favorite diners, Ruby’s. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Emma grinned. “What? They’re good. I promise.”

“My arteries clog just by watching these abominations,” Regina said, nose wrinkled in disgust as Emma held one in front of her.  
  
“Eat,” she ordered, enjoying the horror in Regina’s eyes. “You said I could choose.”

“Yes, but-”  
  
“No buts. There’s a park over there, come on.” It was after twelve when they settled down, and Emma took a plaid out of her backpack, along with some drinks and some other snacks, which Regina eyed longingly. Apparently, anything was better than a heap of melted cheese.

“Sit,” she ordered Regina, who reluctantly complied, holding her grilled cheese between her thumb and middle finger. “And eat.” She took a huge bite out of her own sandwich and moaned blissfully - honestly, if Regina wasn’t going to eat it, then she definitely would. 

With a doubtful look on her face, Regina brought the grilled cheese to her nose and sniffed, before she took a bite the size of a maize grain that made Emma chuckle and shake her head. She’d finished half her own sandwich already.

“And?” Emma asked her.

“It’s… not as bad as it looks,” Regina admitted reluctantly. Emma grinned as if she won something - and maybe she had.

“Told you so.” She handed her a bottle of water, and Regina seemed glad to be able to put down the sandwich. “Here,” she added, giving her a container with a pasta-salad. “This is probably more to your liking.”

Frowning, Regina looked up. Emma hadn’t ordered it at the diner. “How did you-”

“Asked Eugenia nicely,” Emma winked. The woman had personally made sure a backpack with coolers had been readied for Emma to take, and Emma had asked her to pack something that Regina had liked. The hotel manager probably had looked at everything Regina had ordered and put it in the bag. 

"Are you telling me you had lunch packed and still made me eat that abomination?" Regina said, outraged.

Emma grinned, unimpressed and highly amused. "Yep," she said, before taking a bite and pulling Regina's sandwich closer. 

There was a brief silence, followed by a huff. “Mrs. Lucas must like you,” Regina said. She opened the container and took the fork that Emma dug up from the bag

At that moment, Regina’s cell phone rang. She answered it as Emma smiled at her, sat down next to her, and started to take off Regina’s shoes, placing her bare feet in the grass. Regina let her as she listened to a summary of this morning’s events, and Emma took the time to finish both hers and Regina’s sandwich. Between talking, Regina took bites from her own salad. But then suddenly, Regina’s phone disappeared. Surprised, she looked up, only to see that Emma had snatched it from her hands. “I was talking to someone,” she protested as Emma ended the call. 

“Yeah. You were taking the day off,” Emma countered, raising an eyebrow. Regina was a workaholic. “When was the last time?”

“Taking a day off?” Regina asked, and Emma nodded. “I can’t remember.”

“Then turn off your phone. Look around you. The sun is shining, we’ve conquered a place in the shade, we have food and drinks - what else do we need?”

“Something to do?”  
  
“Why?” Emma pulled off her jacket, rolled it up as a bundle, and laid her head down on it. 

“I…” Regina sighed. “I never do _nothing_.”

“It’s long overdue, then. Take off your blazer and use it as a pillow. Lay down. Close your eyes.” Regina stared at her. 

Emma sighed. “If you don’t want to just relax, there’s a book in the bag. I put it in there when we left.”

Regina pulled it out. “Poetry?” she said, leafing through it. Emma smiled.

“It was in your penthouse. Probably belonged to the room," she shrugged. "When was the last time you read a book?”

Regina looked up again. “I can’t remember,” she said again. 

“Then read. Read to me.”

And Regina did. She read the poems with that wonderfully rich voice of hers. The velvet tones and words caused goosebumps all over Emma's body, and she reveled in it. Regina read the first few poems sitting next to Emma, toes curling in the grass. But then, slowly, she lied down next to Emma. Emma snuggled against her as Regina’s voice filled the air, filled her entirely, resonated inside her. Before she knew it, Emma fell asleep and when she woke, half an hour later, she saw that Regina had closed her eyes, too. 

She wasn’t asleep though, as she absentmindedly ran her hand over Emma’s arm. 

“What did you want to be when you were growing up?” Emma near-whispered. The sharp intake of breath and the way Regina’s fingers quit moving told her she hadn’t expected the question, but that she had heard it all the same.

“Once I dreamed of having a small farm. My own stables,” Regina said then and fell quiet again.

"Horses, huh?”

“Yes, Miss Swan,” Regina said, her tone a mixture of amusement and irritation, “horses. But I was very young, then.” Her voice became dismissive. "It was just a silly dream."

“I bet Geppetto would help you build it if you asked nicely,” Emma said, and it snapped Regina’s head around. There was a dark glimmer in her eyes, and Emma, a little startled by the sudden drop of temperature in the air around them, raised her hand in defense. “Okay! Okay. Just saying. Don't bite my head off.” Regina didn’t touch the subject anymore after, and Emma suggested they should pack up and wander around the city.

And that they did. They talked about nothing and everything, but Emma carefully avoided anything to do with Regina’s work. They had dinner in a small diner, a place where Regina usually never would’ve entered but of which Emma said they served the best burgers - and Emma felt a small victory when Regina agreed and finished it almost entirely -, and they stayed there until Regina called the limo to bring them back to the penthouse. And in the back of the car, while Emma laid down her head on Regina’s shoulder with a content, tired sigh, she couldn’t remember a more relaxing, fun day. 

She must have fallen asleep because when she opened her eyes, the car was already standing in front of the hotel. Regina had nudged her awake. “We’re home,” she whispered, and Emma blinked. Home. The penthouse wasn’t home, but somehow, it felt like one indeed, and apparently, not just to her. Emma didn’t mention Regina’s slip, eyes still a little glazed over with sleep which she tried to blink away.

Regina helped her out of the car and wrapped a protective arm around Emma’s waist before guiding her inside. She nodded at the hotel manager, who returned the gesture with a smile around her lips and Emma returned it. She liked Eugenia and she was almost sure the feeling was mutual.

“I had a great day,” Regina whispered, once they stepped into the elevator and were brought to the top floor. 

“So had I,” Emma replied with a lopsided smile. She nuzzled Regina’s cheek with her nose. 

~*~

Emma brushed her teeth and had changed into a silky nightgown, while her thoughts ran over all that had happened today. It had been a fun one. Regina had a sharp mind, was witty, and the dry, sarcastic humor was a delight. They had shared thoughts, history, and laughs, and she was happy she had convinced Regina to try something new, as well. Regina was the furthest away from any resemblance to the Evil Queen, Emma mused, as she ever could be. 

Once she was done, she returned to the bedroom, eyes wandering towards the bed - and halted when she saw Regina, sitting against the headboard, head slightly tilted down. Her chest slowly rose and fell. “She sleeps,” Emma murmured, a tiny smile around her lips. Carefully, she moved around the bed, and quietly she sat down next to Regina, taking in her stilled features. She looked so peaceful with her eyes closed and face relaxed. A surge of warmth spread through her stomach, settling in her chest. The woman was beautiful, Emma thought, as she let her eyes wander over Regina’s face, hair, and neck. She was still dressed in a blouse and slacks and hadn't even made it to change herself. But inside, too, Emma had seen beauty. Regina probably would disagree. She had mentioned before that she wasn’t very likable. Emma didn’t agree with that. Sure, she wasn’t the easiest to hang around with and didn’t suffer fools, but she had a warm heart and probably felt way more than she showed. Suddenly, Emma realized that they had more similarities than they thought they had. Both had suffered from a difficult childhood, even if they grew up in completely different environments. Neither of them had a lot of friends. Both of them had closed themselves off socially. 

Was that what drew Emma close to her? She didn't know. She sighed softly, brought two fingers to her mouth, pressed a kiss on them and softly touched Regina’s lips. Her fingers tingled as they touched the soft, painted mouth. Her lips were satin-soft. And suddenly, she found herself leaning forward, hesitated a second, and then she brushed her lips against Regina’s cheek. 

She didn’t wake up. Emma smiled against her cheek. And she found herself wanting more, wanting to cross a border she’d never crossed before. She inhaled sharply and her heart started to pound against her ribcage in anticipation.

A matter of the heart.

And impulsively, she leaned in again, ghosted her lips over Regina’s. 

Regina tensed up immediately, a little shock ran through her body as her eyes flashed open. Emma withdrew, froze, and stared at Regina. Her heart pounded in her chest, still not really sure what had gotten over her. Regina blinked, a little drowsy from waking up. Emma’s heart pounded in her ears, holding Regina's gaze while pressing her lips together. Regina’s gaze cleared up quickly as realization dawned on what just happened, observed Emma in wonder. She blinked rapidly.

Oh god, Emma thought as realization struck her like a lightning bolt. She had utterly and completely fallen for this woman. She had cast aside her own carefully crafted boundaries, one by one, during these last couple of days. She breathed in sharply as her eyes sought for rejection in Regina’s gaze, but Regina’s eyes softened and she licked her lips as if she wanted to taste - shit, Emma was in so much trouble. 

Regina lifted a hand, wrapped it around Emma's neck and her lips parted slightly, which spurred Emma forward again, and with only the slightest of hesitations, she pressed her lips on Regina’s. Regina’s eyes fluttered shut as Emma’s mouth brushed over hers, softly, tentatively and her breath hitched slightly. The kiss was sweet, almost chaste. Regina let Emma investigate and only responded to Emma’s initiative by running her own tongue over Emma’s lower lip. Emma whimpered softly at the velvet touch of Regina’s tongue. 

Emma raised a hand, cupped Regina’s cheek as she deepened the kiss, softly nibbling on Regina’s lower lip which drew a quiet, desperate noise from the back of Regina's throat. But Regina, never one to surrender easily, replied accordingly, slowly took over and captured Emma’s lips with her own and granted herself access to Emma’s mouth, turning the kiss into something more passionate, more frantic. Emma’s body sang, trembled with the feeling of wanting to be even closer. Heat settled in her stomach, and restlessly, she moved to straddle Regina.

Regina lifted her hands as she sat up straight, gently guiding Emma a little back. Emma’s breath wavered against Regina's lips. Her hands wandered over Regina’s neck, chest, slipped under her blouse, until Regina gently pushed her further back, guiding her to lie down on her back. God, Emma needed her. She needed Regina in a way she had never needed someone before. She wanted to _feel_ her, wanted the skin contact. And instinctively, Regina knew. Regina’s hands gently traveled over Emma’s body, soft and light and tender and the tenderness of her movements left Emma with tears in her eyes. She blinked them away, didn’t want Regina to worry, and stop because it wasn’t what she had asked for. Regina had wanted no emotional hassle, she reminded herself through her aroused haze, closing her eyes. Desperately, Emma tried to ban the thoughts out as her body trembled under Regina’s demanding hands. “You’re so beautiful,” Regina whispered. Her touch was almost reverent, and suddenly flustered and self-aware, Emma wanted to cross her arms in front of her chest.

“Don’t,” Regina murmured, taking her hands, pressing soft kisses on her fingers before she brought her face close to Emma’s. There was an unspoken question shimmering in her gaze as she leaned in and hesitated. Emma smiled, a little insecure, and lifted her head to answer, meeting Regina’s lips. She exhaled softly, lifted her hand to cradle Regina’s jaw to hold her in place. Regina was an addiction, an intoxication. The soft noises that Regina made in the back of her throat made Emma’s heart flip and her breath caught in her throat. The warmth in her body started to heat up and her breathing became quick and ragged. Suddenly, she needed to feel Regina against her, and her fingers restlessly started to fidget with the straining buttons of Regina’s blouse. 

On her end, Regina’s hands tugged Emma’s nightgown up, pressing her fingers against her warm skin, before she broke their kiss to pull it over Emma’s head, while Emma moved on with Regina’s blouse in the process. Heat radiated off both their bodies. Emma’s breath stuttered when Regina leaned in, caught her lips once more, while her hand wandered lightly over her breasts, stomach, flanks, belly, legs, up to the apex of her thighs again. Emma groaned, lifted her hips, but Regina withdrew her hand and placed it flat on Emma's chest, and pushed her back. "Lie down, Emma," Regina softly commanded and Emma couldn't do anything else but comply willingly, and Regina immediately followed, her lips on Emma's again and hands continuing the investigation of Emma's body. Emma's back arched with want, with need, into Regina’s gentle fingers as they wandered lower, and finally, _finally_ found the friction it so desperately needed.

“Please,” Emma whined against Regina’s lips before the brunette deepened the kiss and moved her hand. Her adept fingers parted her folds, gently circled the most sensitive part of her body, stroked up and down her increasingly wet slit. Emma gasped, giving Regina's tongue the chance to claim hers. The buildup was swift and hot and wet and so surprisingly intense that she had to break the kiss as her body arched off the bed. “Regina,” she cried, and she exploded with a cry, her body convulsing on the rhythm of the orgasmic waves crashing through her body. She felt them pulse in the tips of her toes, her fingers, _everywhere,_ as whimpering sounds escaped her throat _._ Shaken to her very core, she didn’t have control over her body as it shuddered and twitched under Regina’s soothing hands.

Regina’s eyes never left her as she slowly came back to her senses, limbs heavy and boneless and awkwardly vulnerable. There was a curious smile around Regina’s lips while she lowered her head and softly brushed her lips against Emma’s. They really were satin-soft, Emma thought absentmindedly, mind still a little hazy. “Thank you,” Regina whispered, and Emma blinked, eyes heavy with post-orgasmic bliss.  
  
“For what?” she murmured. Her hand started to wander over Regina’s side, but Regina simply pulled her close, pressed her own body against hers, and didn’t answer the question, instead, lacing Emma’s fingers with her own. Their bodies fit together perfectly, Emma thought.

“Go to sleep,” Regina replied instead, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, pressing a kiss on her forehead. Emma sighed. She felt vulnerable, but also safe, warm, loved, and complete, and while Regina’s hand started to draw relaxing circles over her back, she couldn't fight it and slowly drifted off.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Trigger warning: Attempted rape. It's in the movie, but I thought I'd warn you in advance.

Regina sat at the breakfast table and absentmindedly looked at her phone to catch up with the news, quietly eating some yogurt with fruit. She felt Emma’s observing eyes from the other side of the table, but wasn’t quite ready to face her, so she had her gaze fixed on the phone. She tried to focus on the article, but after trying three times to read it, she gave up and simply stared, until the screen turned black and her thoughts fully focused on what was _really_ on her mind.

Emma. Her lips tingled at the memory of last night. Emma had kissed her on her lips, while she had deemed it too personal before and it had opened a whole new can of worms. Because Regina had readily accepted it, claimed it, wanted it, her blood had sung and raced through her veins, over and over again, every time their lips met and she felt invigorated. 

And it had left her head in utter turmoil. 

Because even though it had made her feel insanely happy at the time, she felt trapped as the morning had dawned. As if she’d fallen into it with her eyes wide open. She didn’t want that - in fact, she had explicitly said she had no use for emotions. Wasn’t ready to give more than what she already had. 

They had one more day. One more night. God, one more night. She inhaled sharply, and quickly lifted the spoon to muffle the sound by shoving some fruit in her mouth. Warmth settled in her belly and instinctively, she pressed her legs together under the table. Emma, all of Emma was intoxicating. And fuck, Regina was an addict. She hated the dependency. And at the same time, she couldn’t give it up.

“What are you thinking about?” Emma’s voice broke the silence.

Regina smiled tightly but didn’t raise her head, trying to get herself back under control. “The fact that this will be our last night together,” she said, eyes still staring at her black screen, not seeing anything, “Then you’ll finally be rid of me.”

There was an uneasy pause before Regina continued, curling her fingers around a glass of orange juice to keep them from trembling. “My business here is almost over, so I’ll be going to New York.”

Emma didn’t say anything after that, either, and it made Regina look up. Emma still observed her and for the first time, her face was unreadable. Regina frowned, finding that she couldn’t stand that - she wanted to know what Emma was thinking. What’s more, the idea that she wouldn’t see Emma again and they would both return to their own lives twisted her stomach upside down and squeezed it tightly. They had something going for them, and it was nice. Really nice. And she couldn’t bear the thought of Emma going back to Hollywood Boulevard. Didn’t want it to be over yet. 

It was both amazing and aggravating how swift her mind went from not wanting all these feelings to stop Emma from leaving her life entirely. 

Yes. Addiction was the proper word.

“I’d really like to see you again,” she said impulsively. It surprised her as much as it did Emma.

Emma’s mouth pulled into a dopey smile immediately. “You would?”  
  
“Yes,” Regina answered, both happy and relieved that Emma wasn’t opposed to the idea. “Yes, I would.” It was the truth. And maybe the solution to Emma’s problem was easier than she thought. “I am going to arrange an apartment for you. And a car. It’ll be arranged this afternoon.” It was the perfect solution. Emma didn’t have to work the streets anymore. She could do whatever she wanted - or nothing, if that’s what she preferred. She could live the life she wanted, the life she deserved. The more Regina thought about it, the more she liked her idea.

Emma’s smile slowly made way for a frown and she ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. “What else?” Emma said, voice a little defensive. “You’re going to leave money by the bed when you pass through town?”

Regina frowned. She would’ve thought Emma would be happy with the perspective of not having to work the streets anymore, have a decent home. Hell, maybe she could even pick up a study if she wanted to, without worrying about debts, side-jobs or anything else.

“It wouldn’t be like that,” Regina countered, a little miffed. 

Emma narrowed her eyes. “How would it be?”

“Well,” Regina said, running a hand through her hair as well, “For one thing, it would get you off the streets.”

Emma looked at her, eyes sadder than ever before. “That’s just geography,” she replied quietly, before turning around and moving away from her onto the balcony.  
  
Regina blinked in confusion. She had thought Emma would be happy with her arrangements but instead, it seemed like the opposite - the sadness startled her. She got up from the chair, leaving her breakfast and her phone, and followed her, stopping at the threshold. Emma leaned on the banister, gazed out over the city. “What is it what you want, then?” Regina asked, genuinely confused by Emma’s response - and a little agitated as well. “What do you see happening between us?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Emma said, refusing to meet her eyes. Regina tilted her head, feeling the impatience building inside. She didn’t understand and couldn’t fix it if she didn’t get answers. Emma lifted her head, and smiled in the distance, seemingly lost in thought. She wanted to say something but then Emma sighed and tilted her head.

“I think every orphan has the dream that they’ve been switched at birth, or kidnapped when they were really young, and we’re all waiting to get rescued….” She smiled a little sad. “One way or another. Sometimes you find that rescue in a family that adopts you, and others, well… we’re just stuck in the system. We just have hopes and dreams, and you try to hold on to those for as long as you can. It takes a while for anyone to realize that the only one coming for your rescue, is yourself. Some save themselves by waiting it out. Some by running away, as I did.” Emma shrugged, shoulders a little strained. Regina’s heart went out to her and she felt the urge to reach out, but realized that right now was not the right time. She laced her own fingers, pressed her hands against her stomach.

“But anyway,” Emma continued, “When I was about eight, I was living with my fifth foster family. My foster mother used to lock me in the attic when I was misbehaving, which was pretty often.” She smiled absentmindedly at the memory and Regina’s heart ached for the little girl she had been. “And I would… I would pretend that I was a princess, trapped in the tower by an Evil Queen.” Now, Emma did look at Regina, a half-apology evident in her eyes, but her eyes brightened as her story continued. ”And then, suddenly this knight… on a white horse, with these colors flying, would come charging up and draw his sword,” she added, drawing a pretend-sword, swinging her arm around. “And…” She sighed, her movements stilling. “And I would wave at him. And he would climb up the tower and rescue me.”  
  
She smiled a little wryly when she turned to Regina, the same sadness from before back in her gaze and it made Regina’s heart skip a beat in agony. “But never, in all the time that I had this dream, did the knight say to me, ‘come on, Emma, I’ll put you up in a nice condo’.” 

Regina narrowed her eyes. Her insides twisted and turned, but she kept her appearance straight. “I’m not a-” she started, but then, inside, her cell phone started ringing and even though she could’ve let it go, it was also a great excuse to not having to say anything. She needed to straighten out her thoughts, which were all over the place. “I need to get that,” she murmured,” turning around. Regina Mills was fleeing the scene and it wasn’t pretty. She turned to go inside, grabbed her phone. “Victor,” she said, sharper than she’d intended.

"Marco Geppetto wants to meet with you. Today,” Victor immediately said, disregarding her tone of voice. “I just got off the phone with him.”  
  
“What about?”  
  
“He wouldn’t say. Regina, I think we’ve got him. His nuts are on the block. We’ve got him. He’s really caving in!” Victor laughed, almost hysterically. “I want him to commit his stocks to us this afternoon.”

She held her gaze on Emma, who stared out over the city again, when she replied. “No, that’s no good. If he’s really caving in, I don’t want to wait until this afternoon. Have Geppetto meet me downtown this morning.” She abruptly ended the call and headed for the balcony again, grabbing her blazer from one of the chairs in the process. Her thoughts were all over the place. She didn’t want to leave but at the same time, she needed time to think about what Emma had said and straighten out her thoughts.

Regina was no hero for wanting to get Emma off the street. She wasn’t a knight in shining armor. If anything, she resembled the Evil Queen from Emma’s story more than she’d ever do a knight. Keeping people locked up was more her thing. Metaphorically, of course, she wryly thought. Victor wasn’t wrong. Geppetto’s nuts were on the block. He had nowhere to go. She’d locked him and his son in Emma’s fictional tower and the only way out for them was to hand over their company. 

She shook her head. No. Knighthood didn’t suit her. And at that thought, Emma turned around, hearing Regina behind her. Regina swallowed. The sadness was still there, as was a hint of disappointment which made Regina’s stomach squeeze. 

Regina had never done something like this for anyone. The fact that she wanted to meant a lot, already. It meant that Regina was more invested in this than she had in anything in a long time, perhaps work included. But she couldn’t give more than she already had. 

She was simply incapable of doing so.

“I have to go now,” she told Emma. There were things they still needed to talk about. She wanted Emma to understand her side of the story, but this business needed to be concluded. It was what she was here for, after all. “I… want you to understand that I heard everything you said. All of this… it isn’t easy for me. This is all I’m capable of right now. This is… already a big step for me. I’d hate to see you go back out there. I’m not a knight, Emma, and I’m sorry. But this is all I can offer.”

Emma swallowed and turned up the corner of her mouth. “I know. And… it’s a really good offer for a girl like me,” she softly answered. A girl like her. A prostitute. Regina shook her head.

She raised her hand, then hesitated before her fingers met Emma’s cheek and stopped. “I’ve never treated you like a prostitute,” she said, holding her gaze for a few seconds, before turning away. 

But Emma’s whispered reply followed her on the way out and sent a chill over her back. 

“You just did.”

~*~

_You just did._

These words kept playing in her head when she sat in the limo, when she met up with Victor, up in the elevator, and in the office. They pained her. God, she felt frustrated. Part of her wanted to shake Emma violently. It wasn’t _like_ that. Yes, she wanted to see her. And she wanted Emma to be comfortable, being able to live her own life and wanted her to be able to create her own chances. It was also in Regina’s best interest because she had no intention of driving up and down Hollywood Boulevard to pick her up. 

That particular thought made her straighten her shoulders until they hurt. 

_That’s just geography,_ Emma had said. 

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she realized fully what Emma had said. She had discarded those words earlier, but they hit her like a train at full speed now. Because picking her up at the apartment whenever she was in town had seemed like a convenience before, but yes, she realized how it would only be a change of scenery. It was not how she had meant it.

Fuck.

Regina didn’t care about money. She valued what it could do. By setting her up in an apartment, she just helped her in the only way she knew - solving a problem logically. And the logical thing was to buy her way out of the problem. She had enough money. An apartment was mere change for her. But she realized Emma lived on the other side of the spectre. To her, it was a lot and she probably felt obliged to pay it off in the one way she knew how. That really wasn’t what Regina had meant, even though the thought of how convenient it would be for both parties had flashed through her mind. It made her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Regina swallowed thickly, a lump in her throat that didn’t go away.

She bit on the insides of her cheek, so hard that she tasted blood. Emma was right. Buying her an apartment and a car, making sure that she’d be off the streets so that Regina could visit whenever she was in town was _still_ buying her affection. _You just did._ She _had_ treated her like a hooker - albeit a very expensive and exclusive one. 

_You should probably be prepared to pay a shitload of money if you want someone to tolerate you_ , Kathryn had said. 

She had. Regina’s stomach dropped. She had offered even more to bind Emma to her with an apartment. A car. Financial support. 

And at the same time, she found that it was exactly what she didn’t want. If anything, she wanted Emma to keep seeing her because she wanted to, not because Regina was paying her. Breath caught in her throat, a frown creased her forehead.  
  
She had no idea how she could fix this but she found herself reaching for her phone to have her understand that it wouldn’t be like that - Emma wouldn’t be a personal prostitute. God, the mere thought made her nauseous. 

But unfortunately, there wasn’t time to call, since Victor and his team of lawyers started to enter the conference room. She didn’t look up. Stared out of the window as she tried to collect her thoughts, fingers wrapped tightly around her phone. 

She usually could compartmentalize really well - it enabled her to focus completely on the task at hand - but right now, she was adrift. She was confused. Regina Mills, the Evil Queen of hostile takeovers, never was confused before closing a deal and she hated it. She hated how her personal life had crossed over in her work, and reprimanded herself sharply. She needed to focus more on her job and less on the blonde who made her stomach flutter.

She blinked as she refocused from the view of the conference room to her own reflection. Narrowed her eyes, gathered her composure, and turned around. She eyed the key players in this deal. Geppetto and his son. Victor Whale. The lawyers on both sides. One by one, they had arrived and taken place at the meeting table. 

Instead of sitting down with them, she chose to stand. It was a tactic. Towering over everyone else gave her an extra advantage that reinforced her reputation. Her eyes lingered on Geppetto, who stared back defiantly. Inside, Regina smiled. She really did like the man. 

Ironically, the office building they were going to close the deal in was of the skyscrapers Geppetto had designed and built. Before she came here, she thought it would be a nice touch. Now, she almost felt sorry for the man. She slowly started to pace up and down in front of the large windows, her eyes restlessly wandering over the city’s skyline.

“Mr. Geppetto, you said you wished to speak to Miss Mills,” Victor started formally. “Miss Mills is now listening.” 

Regina didn’t even look up. 

“I’ve… reconsidered my position on your acquisition offer,” Geppetto started, defeat evident in his voice. Regina looked up at his pained tone. He really was caving. “On one condition,” he added as if he still had any leverage. Regina raised an eyebrow as Geppetto turned to face her directly. 

“I’m not so concerned about me, but the people who are working for me.” It was a heartfelt plea. One that she had heard many times before because, in the end, that’s what most company presidents asked for. It meant nothing. 

Until now, when it did. His dark brown eyes locked desperately with hers and, while keeping her face emotionless, she felt it pulling at her heartstrings. _I think you like Mr. Geppetto,_ Emma whispered in her head. 

“Not a problem,” Victor smoothly cut in as he had, many times before, forcing Geppetto to look at him. _Doesn’t it bother you that you don’t make anything?_ Regina folded her arms in front of her chest, suppressing an impatient sigh. _Don’t you want to leave anything behind to be proud of?_

“They’ll be taken care of,” Victor continued with glimmering eyes. She knew what he thought because she had thought the same thing, many times before. They were on the verge of closing.

_I bet Geppetto would help you build it if you asked nicely._

“Now, if we could address ourselves to the contracts in front of you-”  
  
“Excuse me, Victor,” Regina suddenly cut in.

Victor’s jaws snapped shut and he looked up in surprise.

“Gentlemen,” she addressed the room calmly, “I’d like to speak to Mr. Geppetto, alone.”

Geppetto looked up, eyes wide in surprise before he turned his gaze to his son. August shrugged, as puzzled as the others were, and Victor frowned. 

“Thank you,” Regina added sharply, after which the lawyers gathered their papers and tentatively stood up. 

“All right, gentlemen, you heard her. Please wait outside,” Victor unnecessarily told them because they were headed for the door already. He kept his seat, as did August.

“You too, Victor,” Regina told him calmly. He eyed her in surprise. 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I would like to speak to Mr. Geppetto, _alone,_ ” she snapped impatiently. Honestly, she didn’t know what he hadn’t understood about it. 

Bewildered, he looked from Geppetto to Regina, eyebrows nearly disappearing under his hairline. “But… why does _he_ get to stay?” he sputtered weakly.

“Victor,” Regina said, quickly losing her patience. Geppetto nodded at his son, whose eyes flashed from Regina to his father and back, and then got up.

“I’ll be right outside,” Victor said reluctantly and with a final warning glare, he left the room, followed closely by August. The door closed. Regina’s eyes lingered on it for a few seconds, before she turned on her heels, taking a step closer to the man still sitting at the table. He looked up at her with a wary frown on his face - and why shouldn’t he be, she thought.

“Mr. Geppetto,” Regina started calmly, folding her hands in front of her belly, “My interests in your company have changed.”

“What is it that you’re after now, Miss Mills?” Geppetto asked, exasperated and tired as if he couldn’t take much more but would be willing to fight until his last breath. It was a stance Regina appreciated.

“Well, I no longer wish to buy your company and take it apart,” Regina slowly started, sitting down at the head of the table, to Geppetto’s left. There was no need for intimidation tactics anymore. “And I don’t want anyone else to, either.” She took a decanter and poured a glass of water for both of them. “But it’s still extremely vulnerable.” She smiled at him for the first time today, as she handed him a glass. “So I find myself… in unfamiliar territory.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes a little. “I want to help you.”  
  
Geppetto blinked rapidly, a stunned expression on his face. “Why?” he brought out after a few seconds of silence. 

“Well,” Regina slowly said, “Let’s say that someone pointed out to me that money only grows money. It’s time that I… left something substantial to this world. And I think we can do something very special with your company.” She took a sip of her water, put the glass back and folded her hands in her lap.

“What about our governmental contracts?” Geppetto tilted his head curiously, but interested in the sudden change of events.

Regina hummed. “They were never dead. Just delayed. I… bluffed a little bit.” She smiled a bit sheepishly.

Geppetto chuckled but didn’t seem very surprised. “You’re very good at it.” He could’ve been angry, but he smiled fondly at her, stroking his beard.

“Thank you very much,” Regina answered, returning the smile. The moment was almost amiable. Emma was right. She really did like the man. “It’s my job, after all.” 

There was a short pause. “I know you’re a financial genius, Miss Mills,” Geppetto said slowly, “but do you really think Geppetto Constructions can be saved?”

“It’s not going to be easy,” Regina offered truthfully, “and it will probably require a reorganization or two, or even more. An overhaul of your company. But I believe it’s doable.”

“Hm,” Geppetto hummed. “I guess we were wrong about you.”

Regina raised an amused eyebrow. “About what?”

“The title of Evil Queen doesn’t suit you, at all.”

“Ah,” she replied with a smirk. The title, once coined by her very own mother, meant little to her and she had never seen it as an insult, more like a shield which helped her in her job. But Geppetto renouncing it made her feel better. “That probably lies in the eye of the beholder, don’t you think? I believe many people won’t be truly happy with me after I’ll announce this turn of events.”

“Then let me,” Geppetto offered.

Now, it was Regina’s turn to look up surprised. Geppetto’s kind eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. “Let me do the announcement.”  
  
“Are you sure?”

“Sharks come in different shapes and sizes, Miss Mills. I’ve dealt with my fair share of them.”  
  
Regina didn’t respond but nodded simply. And he deserved this moment, as well. “I think we can leave most of the details up to the lawyers out there,” she said instead, changing the subject back to their deal easily. She stood up. 

Geppetto got up, as well. “I find it hard to say without sounding condescending, but… I’m proud of you, Regina.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly, extended the other one for her to take. And she was surprised again by the surge of fondness she felt for the man. His words settled in her chest. 

Pulling up one corner of her mouth, she smiled. “Thank you.” Then, she let go of his hand and turned away, grabbing her blazer. “I think we can get in the other suits now.”

Geppetto’s eyes shone as she opened the door and told the others to get back inside. They passed her by, took their seats as Geppetto said, “Come on in, gentlemen, please sit down.”

Victor, the last one to enter, warily eyed the blazer folded over her hands, as she eyed the scene amused. Geppetto had taken back control, and the confidence with which he addressed the people in front of him gave her confidence for their future collaboration. “What was this all about?” he hissed at her, his face red in anticipation. She simply raised her eyebrows as she nodded to Geppetto, and turned to the door. 

“It’s all yours, Victor,” she told him, “Finish it up.”

He rushed to the table and she left the conference room, closing the door behind him. 

“Hold up,” Victor cried out, “these contracts aren’t signed! What the _fuck_ is going on here?”

“Miss Mills and I are going to _build_ together,” Geppetto cheerfully said, his Italian accent thick in his enthusiasm. And as the old man started to unfold the plans of their collaboration, Regina left, a smile lining her lips. 

It felt good. The decision would probably cost a lot in the beginning but she was sure that, once they had nurtured Geppetto’s company back to health, her investment would be returned to her. But the fact that she could help the man reinvent his company, his lifework, meant so much more. It thawed something in her heart, something that had been frozen for a very long time. She felt good about herself and knew she had made the right decision.

Softly sighing, she headed to Gus, handing him her briefcase. “I’m going to take a walk. You go back to the hotel.” He nodded and turned, and so did she, as she slowly started walking towards the hotel, and let her mind wander to Emma again. Emma, who had unknowingly changed the way she regarded her own company, her own deal, and had turned the deal around into something she was more satisfied with.

Her personal life was still a mess. What she had told Emma was the truth. She wasn’t ready to give Emma more than she currently had to offer - a better life, but not herself. She simply was incapable of opening up to anyone. She didn’t want it, even, because it would leave her raw and vulnerable and she had learned never to be vulnerable a long, long time ago. Being vulnerable meant being weak. She couldn’t afford to be weak. 

Emma didn’t want to be paid, and rightfully so. She needed to be the butterfly she had wanted to be. And in all honesty, Regina didn’t want to bind her or pin her wings to a wooden board, didn’t want to put her up for display. She realized that if she was going to see Emma again after she had returned to New York, she would want them to be equals. Emma was too proud to be anything less than that - as she should. Emma had to want it as much as Regina did.

Emma had broken her own rules by kissing her. That would _probably_ mean she’d be open to the idea of seeing Regina, whenever she was in LA, which would be more often now that she and Geppetto were going to work together. And Regina would really, really like that.

But was it going to be enough?

Her stomach twitched and sharp pain in her chest took her breath away. Made her sweaty, as her head pounded in her throat. Bewildered, she looked around, not knowing what happened as she pushed her hand flat to her chest, and when the panic lessened, she recognized the park in which Emma and herself had spent the afternoon. In an impulse, she walked onto the green field and kicked off her shoes, breathing a little more easily as her feet touched the grass, its blades tickling her soles, anchoring her to the ground. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a few seconds. 

Regina swallowed thickly, her toes curling in the dirt, hugging herself tightly. 

Emma deserved someone who gave her everything. Regina had been the Evil Queen so long that she didn’t know how to be anyone else - it was one thing to change her professional path and image, but opening up her heart? No. That was something that Regina simply wasn’t capable of. 

She buried her face in her hands and inhaled shakily. 

So much for not wanting emotional hassle.

~*~  
  
After Regina had left the penthouse, Emma had dressed and meandered through the apartment, replaying the conversation over and over in her mind. She had seen Regina’s face when she had made her offer - she genuinely believed that she did something good. And, Emma knew. She did appreciate the gesture. She hadn’t lied that it would be a great opportunity for a girl like her.

Only, after last night, the offer felt dirty. Like Emma had said, it was the first time Regina had really treated her like a prostitute. Maybe she didn’t know how to express herself. It fit the way Regina treated every problem - throw money at it until it went away. The pattern was clearly visible. 

Okay, so having money had its advantages. But Emma didn’t want charity, or a loan, or whatever Regina was currently offering. She was way too proud for that. So maybe it really was all Regina was capable of right now. But it didn’t feel _right._ And it definitely wasn’t enough.

Because Emma could care less about all the money Regina owned. She had fallen long and hard for the woman and only wanted _her_ \- not just when she passed through town whenever she was in the neighborhood or whenever she felt like it. She wanted to be with her and couldn't care less if it was here or in a shitty little hut in the desert. She was utterly and completely in love with her.

Imagine that. Falling for the Evil Queen, instead of the knight. What a way to twist a fairy tale. 

Fuck, she was in deep shit. “Ugh,” she huffed, running a hand through her curls. She felt hot, sweaty, nervous, on the verge of a mental breakdown. The walls of the apartment started to move in on her so she fled the penthouse to the lobby and lounge of the hotel. 

Regina hadn’t given her any task today so she wandered aimlessly from one place to the other, waiting for her to come home to talk to her, to try and figure out what they could be, if they could be anything at _all_ , until Eugenia, who had followed her antics, had had enough of her restless ways and had gently but firmly taken her arm, and had guided her to the outside seating area near the pool.

“Sit,” she had told her, “Stay.”

Wondering what kind of trouble she was in to now, Emma had quietly fidgeted with her fingers until Eugenia had returned with two whiskeys on the rocks. Blinking in surprise, she had looked up. “Drink,” the older woman had ordered her and Emma did while being observed through narrowed eyes.

“You clean up real nice,” Eugenia gruffly as she took a sip of her own.

The golden liquid burned its way down to her stomach and Emma flashed a smile at her, suppressing a cough. “Thanks. It’s easy to clean up when you’ve got the money,” Emma said, a little bitter. It wasn’t fair that the world worked this way. 

“You are right. But in the end, you can only change appearances,” Eugenia waved her words away. “Money can’t change a horrible personality. Cloak it, maybe. But never change.”

“Assholes will be assholes,” Emma had to agree.

“So, what has you moping through my hotel this morning?” Eugenia’s sharp eyes wandered over her face, looking for clues.

Emma blinked at the sudden question. Opened her mouth and closed it again. She didn’t know what to say. 

“Does it have something to do with your… _aunt_ leaving tomorrow?” The woman raised her eyebrows.

Emma snorted. “She’s not my aunt,” she murmured the confession.

“I know, dear.” Eugenia pulled up a corner of her mouth, an amused look on her face. 

“You’re probably happy you’ll never see me again, huh?” Emma asked with a tight grin, waving at her with the glass. The whiskey whirled around in it. 

“Hm,” Eugenia answered non-committally. Emma sighed deeply. She felt utterly alone right now. Maybe that’s why before she knew it, she blurted out, “She asked me if I wanted to see her again.” 

She sighed, placed her elbows on the table in front of her, and leaned her forehead against her hands. “But I think… definitely no. I mean, it’d just be another week, right? It wouldn’t mean anything.”

There was a long silence. She didn’t really expect an answer, but there was a stern voice interfering in her self-pity. “Are you in love with her?”

“No,” Emma’s head snapped up and she replied quickly, too quickly, lifting her head but she felt the lie resonate through her entire body.

“If you say so,” Eugenia answered, not buying it, raising one eyebrow and Emma looked away. 

“No. I just… like her,” she lamely added. _Liar._

“You like her,” the woman repeated with a snort. 

Emma lowered her head, buried her face in her hands, her face covered by her hair. “It’s a hot mess,” she said in her hands, hardly audible. Eugenia was maybe old, but not deaf.

“But she wants to see you again. She asked you, didn’t she? Why wouldn’t it work?” 

“Did you ever hear a story about someone like me and one like her ending up together?” Emma barked in exasperation. “It just doesn’t happen.”

“Well,” Eugenia said, folding her arms and leaning backward in her chair, “I agree that it isn’t common. In all my life here I haven’t seen it. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen. Miss Mills has been a loyal customer for years in this establishment. These past days… she’s smiled more. She addressed me by name for the first time. Never did so before.”

Emma eyed her skeptically. “That doesn’t mean anything.”  
  
“Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn’t. But that is not for me to figure out. In the end, it’s going to be up to you both.” Eugenia leaned forward. “But I can help you with something else if it doesn’t work out.”

Emma’s eyebrows shot up. Warily, she sat up straight and squared her shoulders. People never volunteered to help her. Right now, she didn’t even know what she needed help with.

“You remind me of my granddaughter,” Eugenia continued, voice less gruff now, more gentle than Emma had ever heard. “I think you’re a good person. You’re good with people, too. And I mean in the non-sexual way of the word,” she added pointedly when Emma snorted. “You’re… a diamond in the rough. Just needs polishing a little. And I’d like to help you with that. I’d like to offer you a job in my hotel.”

Emma eyed her in disbelief. “You would?” she said with a frown. “Why?”

“Because I think you’d be good at it. And like I said, you remind me of my granddaughter. I wouldn’t want her to roam the streets either,” she said gruffly. “You’ll start in the cleaning department. And you’ll have to work hard to work your way up. I’m not going to go easy on you, but I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself. It’s up to you to take it.” 

Eugenia got up, fished a card out of her pocket and scribbled a cell phone number on it. “You don’t have to decide right now. Call me when you’ve figured it out and know what you want to do, and we’ll discuss details.” She nodded at Emma, who still stared at her dumbly, before turning and walking away.

This really was the strangest day ever.

She swallowed and slowly got up, making her way to the elevator. Was there even something to think about? This was the opportunity of a lifetime. Emm had never liked charity, but she knew that Eugenia wouldn’t be an easy employer. She had been given a chance but she would have to work for it. Eugenia would be fair. She had helped her before, hadn’t she? And besides, after this week, could she really return to Hollywood Boulevard as if nothing had happened?  
  
No. She couldn’t. The mere thought made her feel sick to her stomach. There really wasn’t anything else to do but call Eugenia and accept the offer. But before she did that, she wanted to talk to Regina. She wanted to finish the conversation that they had started this morning. First things first, she thought, inhaling deeply. It wasn’t going to be an easy task. 

Telling the woman she was in love with that she needed more than Regina was ready to offer was going to shatter her heart to pieces. Shit, it already did. 

Right now, the only thing that held her upright was the idea that after this, she had something that could pull her through this. She breathed in shakily. 

Upon entering the penthouse, she checked her phone. Regina wasn’t home and hadn’t left a message, so she was on her own until she heard from her. Until then, she’d just kill time, gather most of her belongings and clothes, and think about Eugenia’s more than kind offer. 

But her thoughts were soon interrupted by a simple knock on the door. Wondering who it might be - not Regina, because she had a keycard - she opened the door. Her face fell instantly when she recognized Victor Whale. Slippery little weasel. 

“Well, well. Hello again,” he said gruffly, as his eyes quickly traveled over her appearance. She wore the same outfit as she had the day before - dark grey jeans and a red and black checkered blouse dress and there was barely any skin visible, and yet she still felt dirty as his pale grey eyes finally traveled up to meet hers. “I’m looking for Regina.”

“Regina’s not here,” Emma said with a frown, pursing her lips as she smelled the alcohol on his breath. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “I thought she was with you.”

“Nope,” Victor said, shaking his head, moving past her inside the penthouse. “She’s definitely not ‘with me.’” He looked around the penthouse. “No. If she were ‘with me’,” he said, making quotation marks with his fingers when he turned briefly towards her, “when, actually, when Regina was with me, she didn’t blow off billion-dollar deals. Now she wants to fucking co-operate.” He went straight for the bar and poured himself a drink. “I think that Regina was with you. That’s what I think. Mind if I have a drink?”  
  
“No,” Emma frowned as he filled up his glass with whiskey, almost up till the edge, not understanding what he meant. Regina wasn’t here and hadn’t been here since this morning. He offered the glass to her, but she warily shook her head, nerves on edge. “Regina will be back soon. Any moment she’ll be home.” She sat on the couch, away from the bar. 

Victor snorted bitterly. “You know that this isn’t home, right?” he sneered. “This is a hotel room.”

Her head snapped up as he continued. “And you are not the missus,” he chuckled viciously. She shifted away as he sat down next to her, suddenly feeling a spark of fear as the adrenaline started to rush through her body. She frowned. “You are a hooker. Maybe,” he said, narrowing his eyes, “maybe you’re a very good hooker.” 

She froze for a second, and felt anger building up rapidly inside her. Regina better got here quickly before either of them would do something irreversible. Victor was one of Regina’s friends, right? Breaking something of his probably wouldn’t do her much good. But her inner alarm bells were blaring loudly, making listening to what he was saying nearly impossible.

“Maybe if I _do_ you, then I wouldn’t care about losing millions of dollars because I have to be honest with you, Emma, right now, I really do care. I really do. I am really, really pissed right now.” He closed the distance between them until his leg pressed against hers, and his finger stroked her knee. “Right now, I’m just freaking out,” he said, his alcoholic breath wafting in her face.

Emma quickly pulled away, balling her fists as her defense mechanisms kicked in. But he followed faster than she had anticipated. Dug his fingers in her leg, squeezing painfully. “So maybe if I screw you and take you to the opera, I can be a happy guy.”

She jumped up. “Don’t touch me,” she warned him darkly, eyes flashing, roughly pushing his groping arms away. But he followed closely, still surprisingly fast in his intoxicated state, grabbed her arm and yanked her closer. She instinctively pulled up her knee but he turned quickly and she missed his crotch, and he used her imbalance to grab her wrist and throw her down on the floor. Her head hit the ground hard and she saw stars as the air was pressed from her lungs. 

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. Victor only needed these few seconds to launch himself at her, landing hard on top of her, his breath on her face while she heaved in much-needed oxygen. She retched from the alcoholic stench she inhaled. Black dots clouded her vision as his hand groped her breast. Panic crawled into her throat. “Get off me!” she shrieked, biting him when his hand tried to cover her mouth to stop her from screaming. 

“Goddamn it! Ow, bitch!” he cried out and punched her in the face. She saw stars again, but instinctively fought like a cat, scratching, biting, clawing at him, as he pinned her down. “So, what is this, then? Twenty dollars? Thirty? What did she pay you, huh? You a fifty-dollar whore?” he said, voice hysterical. 

“Get off me,” she howled as his hand groped her breast painfully, and she lifted her knee again, this time heading home. Victor cried out in pain and rolled off of her as he used both hands to protect his painful body part. She started to struggle out from under his legs and then suddenly, he was yanked back and she could breathe freely again. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Regina shrieked in horror, “Get _off_ her!” Emma blinked, heaving in a gulp of fresh air and she didn’t know if Regina was this strong or if it was the surprise but Victor was thrown to the floor. “Get out of here,” the brunette snarled at him. 

“She’s a fucking whore,” Victor roared back, scrambling to get up, back turned at the front door and slightly swaying on his legs from the pain and the alcohol. “She’s a goddamn-” He didn’t get to finish the sentence, because Regina had taken a swing at him and hit him right in his nose. If Emma hadn’t been so shocked, hadn’t felt so violated, she probably would feel impressed and proud. 

Victor shrieked and staggered backwards, as Regina grabbed his briefcase and shoved him further back. He crashed into the door. “You broke my fucking nose,” he cried out in disbelief as she swung his briefcase out of the door. “What’s wrong with you? Come on, I’ve given you ten years!” He was nearly crying now, and his jerky movements towards Regina startled Emma. But the brunette eyed him calmly, her stance tense, as he continued his rant. “I devoted my whole life to you!” he cried, hands covering his nose.

“Bullshit,” Regina snarled, raising her hand, jabbing her finger in his chest, which clearly startled him. “That’s bullshit and you know it. It’s the kill you love, not me.” She raised her voice. “I’ve made you a _very_ rich man doing exactly what you loved. Now, get out of here.”

Victor balled his fists, but before he could say anything, Regina barked again, “Get _out_!”

With wide eyes, Emma saw how Victor left the hall, still covering his nose, and Regina threw the door shut behind him. Then, she turned to Emma, the sudden silence tense and heavy on both their shoulders.

Emma buried her face in her hand, hissed as her palm touched the damaged cheek where it had collided with Whale’s fist. She was upset and - ow - hurt. Humiliated. A sound, somewhere in the middle between a sob and a sigh escaped her throat. 

Regina quietly moved through the penthouse, and it seemed like forever before the couch next to her dipped in a little. “Emma,” she said, her voice unsteady, “Did he hurt you?”

“I held him off. He hit me, though. Why do guys always hit a woman right across the jaw?” she murmured, as she looked up. Regina held up a cotton napkin filled with ice and moved to press it to her bruised cheek. She hissed when it touched the damaged area. “It feels like my eye is going to explode. Ow,” she whined, covering Regina’s hand with her own. But she kept Regina’s hand in place. Regina grounded her. The adrenaline started to leave her body and she automatically slumped against Regina, her breath unsteady.

“I’m sorry,” Regina said quietly. She sounded remorseful. It wasn’t her fault, though. In fact, if anything, Regina had probably saved her from worse. Emma knew she could hold her own but even though she had managed to get him off of her, he probably wouldn’t have given up yet.

Emma exhaled a shaky breath at the thought, her insides in turmoil. “I heard what you did with Geppetto,” she said softly, changing the subject. 

Regina smiled, just a little, her dark eyes still full of worry on Emma’s face. “It was a business decision.”  
  
“It was good,” Emma added swiftly. 

“It _felt_ good,” Regina replied, stroking Emma’s unscathed cheek with her finger. A shiver ran down Emma’s spine and traveled up again. Her green eyes found Regina’s, and something soft flashed in her eyes but it was gone so quickly that Emma wondered if she’d imagined it. 

She wanted a shower, to wash Whale’s stench off of her. Suddenly, she felt a little uncomfortable, and gently pushed Regina’s hand away. She needed to get out. Home. After this, she felt that she simply couldn’t stay and she needed space. 

“I think that’s enough,” she murmured, working herself up. Regina pulled back, immediately giving her the space to do so. “I… I think I have to go.”

“Why?” Regina asked and it sounded like a plea. 

Emma hesitated. Remembered what Eugenia told her. Remembered what she had wanted to tell Regina upon her return. It was only fair that they were going to have this conversation. “Look,” she slowly started, “you made me a really nice offer. And a few months ago, no problem. But now, everything’s different. You changed that, and you can’t… change it back. I want more.”

“I know about wanting more,” Regina said, after a few seconds of silence. She grimaced a little painfully. “I invented the concept. The question is… how much more?”

Emma’s heart squeezed tight. “I want the fairy tale,” she quietly answered. 

“I’m… not sure if I can give you that,” Regina said after a few seconds of silence, her eyes a little more shiny than they had before. God, Emma hoped she wasn’t going to cry because she would imminently follow. But she appreciated her honesty.

“I know. And I’d never force you to. But that’s why I have to go,” she said, ignoring the stinging behind her eyes.  
  
Regina nodded. She seemed at a loss for words, as Emma started to pull her shoes on. Then, Regina stood up from the couch, grabbed her purse, and sat down next to Emma again. It almost felt wrong to see how she pulled out the cash and offered it to her, and hesitantly, Emma curled her hands around the bills. “Thank you,” she murmured, putting it away quickly.

“Promise to call me, if you ever need anything,” Regina insisted. Emma smiled and nodded. They both knew she never would.

“I had a good time,” Emma said, and Regina smiled back at her.

“Me too,” she softly said.

Their eyes locked for a few seconds. It gave Emma goosebumps. There was something in those brown, red-rimmed eyes that unsettled her, mesmerized her, begged her not to look away, and there were so many things Emma wanted to say but she couldn’t. Suddenly, she had trouble breathing and a knot tied in her stomach, and she quickly got up. She felt the familiar sting of tears behind her eyes and couldn’t afford letting them spill here. She was too vulnerable, and turned her head away.

“Do you want me to call you a bellboy?” Regina offered, and when Emma looked up at her again, she noticed how Regina had her professional mask back in place. 

“No, thanks. I got this,” she said, taking the clothes. Regina walked her to the door. Opened it. And then closed it, immediately, before Emma could even think about stepping forward. Confused, she looked up. Regina squeezed her eyes together and opened them, staring straight at her. Emma’s breath hitched at the emotion swimming in Regina’s gaze and she swallowed hard.

“Stay,” Regina then said, voice on the verge of breaking. “Stay the night with me. Not because I’m paying you but... because you want to.”

Emma’s breath got stuck in her throat as her gaze wandered over Regina’s features - her deep brown, nearly black eyes, her tanned skin dark against the white blouse, neatly styled hair, full lips, and wandered back to her eyes, saying more than they ever had, begging her to stay. Everything inside her wanted to comply with Regina's soft request, wanted to nod, wanted to bury herself in all Regina had to offer - but she knew she couldn’t. It hurt too much already. She knew she couldn’t settle for less than everything. Knew she would wither away with just the scraps that Regina could throw at her. She knew Regina couldn’t offer more than just one night and that was okay, but it wasn’t an offer that Emma could take. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

“I can’t,” she whispered, her burning eyes turning away, and Regina closed her eyes, inhaling sharply. Emma swallowed. Watched how Regina’s shoulders sagged.

“So, this is it, then?” Regina quietly asked.

“It has to be,” Emma replied, just as softly.

“Goodbye,” Regina said after a short pause, opening the door. 

Rapidly blinking, Emma paused on the threshold and turned her head to face Regina for the final time. “I think you’re a wonderful person with a lot of special gifts,” she quietly told her. “And you’ve never been the Evil Queen to me.” She felt the wetness in her eyes and saw it mirrored in Regina’s as the brunette’s mouth twitched into a small, wobbling smile, before Emma turned and stepped towards the elevator. The door softly closed behind her. 

Part of her hoped that Regina would come after her like she had the last time. Hoped for a heartfelt confession but the reality was that it was over. When the elevator pinged she swallowed a sob away.

She breathed in deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth when the elevator brought her down. There was one more thing she had to do before she could go away and she wandered through the lounge until she found the person she was looking for. 

“I will do it,” she blurted out once the woman came into view. 

Eugenia smiled fondly, but then, she frowned. “Are you leaving already?”

“Tell me when I can start and I’ll return.” Emma raised her chin, fighting to keep her tears inside, ignoring the question.

“So, I’m guessing you’re not accompanying Miss Mills to New York, then?” There was a sympathetic smile on the older woman’s face, one that Emma couldn’t bear.

She snorted, smiled wryly. “Come on, Eugenia. You and me, we live in the real world.” She rolled her eyes. “Most of the time, anyway.”

There was a brief pause before Eugenia nodded. Then her face twisted into her professional mask. “Come with me, and we’ll get the paperwork in order.”

Emma gladly complied and followed Eugenia to her office. It looked the same as it had the first time she’d been here, only for some reason it was less intimidating. Eugenia rummaged in her desk before she took out a couple of forms and laid them on the desk. “Fill these in.”

It didn’t take Emma long to finish them, and Eugenia skimmed over them to see if she had everything. Then, she looked up, eyes a little narrowed, and she observed Emma over the rim of her glasses..

“Take a few days for yourself. Get yourself together. Meet me back here, next Friday, 7 AM sharp. Don’t be late.”

Relief washed over her as Emma released the breath she had been holding. “Thanks, Eugenia,” Emma grinned, and impulsively, she hugged the older woman, who stiffened, not expecting the embrace, but only after a few seconds she returned the hug. 

“Yeah, yeah,” the woman huffed, and Emma withdrew. “I’ll ask Gus to take you home.”  
  
“Oh, there’s no need,” Emma protested, “I can-”

“Gus will take you home,” Eugenia interrupted with a glare, not accepting any rebuttal. “And when you’re on the clock, call me Mrs. Lucas.” 

Emma nodded with a lopsided smile and left the office.  
  
It didn’t take her long to find Gus and he took her home, back to her skimpy one-room apartment. It was going to be enough, Emma told herself. When the adrenaline over getting a job wavered, the sadness settled in her heart again. She knew she had made the right decision. One more night would’ve only made it harder. It wouldn’t have been good for either of them.

But, as she let herself fall on her bumpy mattress when she finally got home, she wondered if she had made the right decision.

~*~

Eyes closed, Regina stood in front of the reception. She was exhausted. Hadn’t slept all night. With Victor being banned from the company, there had been a lot to do and without his expertise, much of it fell into her hands. Fortunately, her other lawyers weren’t complete morons so they had quickly drafted up a decent contract for her to read through, and it had been sent back and forth a couple of times before Regina had agreed with it. Details were important.

Regina sighed. She had missed the details with Victor Whale. She was horrified when she’d come home, finding Emma and Victor in that situation. She hadn’t thought when she’d violently pulled him off of her. Had acted on emotion when she’d lashed out and broke his nose - god, her hand still hurt. She stretched her fingers, savoring the pain as she recalled a couple of very pathetic voicemails of his that she had all ignored. 

She had called her office right after Emma had left, told them to revoke all Victor’s access and block all his work-related emails and hardware. And then, with a dull ache of loss in her stomach, sharp pain in her chest as if barbed wire had wrapped itself around her chest, she had done what she had always done to forget everything - she had thrown herself at work. 

Emma was right, she thought, a headache starting to pound behind her eyes. Emma deserved the fairy tale. A happily ever after. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

And she’d do well to remember that villains never got the happy endings. Emma deserved light, not darkness. If anything, she hoped the money she’d earned this week would keep her off the streets for a long while. She hoped it would be enough to keep her away from her previous job forever. 

“Checking out, Miss Mills?” A voice brought her back to the present and she turned to face the woman who addressed her.

“Yes,” she said. Her eyes were burning, both from being tired and the tears she refused to spill. She placed a flat box on the counter. “I would appreciate it if you could return this.”

Eugenia nodded and took the box. She hesitated. “May I?” she then asked. 

Regina nodded once, tired. “Of course.” She saw how Eugenia’s eyes softened when she saw the necklace.

“Must be hard to let something this precious go,” Eugenia said softly. Regina didn’t answer but tilted her head. 

“Yes,” she said, somewhat curious. “I suppose it is.” They both knew this wasn’t about the necklace and Regina briefly wondered what Mrs. Lucas knew.

But the hotel manager didn’t say anything but give her a small, somewhat sympathetic smile. She made the paperwork in order and there was nothing left for Regina to do but to place the key cards on the counter.

“She’ll be safe.”

Regina’s head jerked up and her shocked gaze met Mrs. Lucas’ calm gaze. “Excuse me?”

“I want you to know that she’ll be safe. I offered her a job at the hotel and she took it.” 

Regina blinked rapidly and she noticed her mouth had fallen open and she closed it immediately. It was as if a heavy load fell off her shoulders and she felt so, so grateful. Emma would be off the streets, something that had worried her greatly. “I… thank you,” she said heartfelt, eyes watering. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, and tried to compose herself.

Mrs. Lucas observed her over the rim of her glasses and for the first time in forever, Regina realized that the woman was sizing her up. Regina tilted her head, and the older woman blinked and nodded, her face a polite, professional mask again. “Gus is ready to take you to the airport.”

“Thank you.”  
  
“He did drive Miss Swan home yesterday, too.”

Regina’s lips pulled into a tight smile and she nodded at the hotel manager. The implication was clear, but Regina knew she wasn’t going to visit her. Emma needed more than Regina could give her. She’d made the right decision. And with all her heart, she wished Emma love with anyone else but her. Even if it hurt like hell.

And so, Regina went to the airport, went home, back to New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - So, yes, I'm going to change the ending slightly, because Regina Mills is being a stubborn asshole.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, they kinda ran away with me.

In the weeks after returning to New York, there were three things that Regina noticed.

The first one was that it was impossible to get her mind away from Emma Swan for more than a couple of hours -- and that was stretching it, especially in the first few weeks. She had thrown herself on the project of getting Geppetto Constructions on its feet again to not think about her, and it had worked somewhat. Her schedule had mercifully kept her thoughts away from her during the day, for several hours in a row. Over the weeks, the sharp pain of Emma’s absence transformed slowly into a dull throbbing in her chest. However, it was never really gone, and in the darkness of the night when she laid awake in her bed, the pain had a tendency to flare up again. She silently suffered through it. 

Secondly, she quickly found out that if you saved a company instead of picking it to pieces, people were a lot friendlier towards you. Especially the people of said company. Too much, sometimes, because with friendliness came incessant nosing into her private life. She wasn’t really sure what she thought about it. Liked keeping her distance. Regina didn’t let people close -- save Emma, but look what that had gotten her. Nothing but pain and misery. So she tried her best to keep people at a distance. Unfortunately, Geppetto had taken a liking to her and had often expressed his concern about how much she worked and urged her to take enough rest. She had smiled through clenched teeth and nodded only once. It was a good thing that he stayed in LA and he couldn’t see past the video screen.

The third one was that she absolutely loathed August Booth, and she wasn’t particularly hiding it. Unfortunately, Geppetto had sent his son to New York to be his liaison on the other side of the country, which meant that they had to work together on a regular basis. He flew up and down often but she saw him more than she’d like to. She knew exactly why she despised him. It wasn’t pretty, but she never had gotten that image of Emma and August out of her head. And for some reason, every time her mind wandered during their meetings, that scene taunted her relentlessly.

It might be petty, but if she had truly been her namesake, she’d have fed him tons of poisoned apples by now. That thought alone made her smirk viciously, as she pictured the man in a glass chest. She wondered if there were female dwarves.

August didn’t particularly like her either - she didn’t give him a chance - but he was blunt. He took the liberty to speak his mind with her, which often left her aggravated or even fuming. Sometimes, it seemed that he liked riling her up. An eye for an eye, perhaps.

She had just suffered through their meeting today. August got up. She bent over her paperwork, dismissing him by obviously ignoring him, but she didn’t hear his footsteps go away.

Not in the mood for insufferable imbeciles, Regina looked up in aggravation. “Anything I can help you with, Mr. Booth?” she sharply said.

He tapped a finger against his lips. “You look like shit, Regina.”

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. She knew she didn’t look well. She’d barely slept more than three hours per night. Her skin had lost its vibrant tone and looked unnaturally gray. Her hair had lost its shine. If the bags under her eyes would grow even further she was going to trip over them. But she didn’t need deranged assholes to tell her so. 

“Why are you still defiling my office, Mr. Booth?” Regina impatiently retorted. She had no time for this. There was a pile of work waiting for her, another meeting to attend and she had a video conference with her new attorney, Marian, who’d taken over Victor’s position in Los Angeles - one of the attorneys that had already been working under Victor. Marian was professional, competent, bright, and sharp as a knife, and Regina, who never liked anyone, was instantly taken with her. 

He gestured at the hallway. “They’re too scared of you to say anything, but you’re getting more cranky by the day.”

“Well, excuse me for trying to save your father’s company,” she snapped. “And if you’re wasting any more time I’ll be even more insufferable - I’m busy enough as it is. So, is there a point you want to make or shall I call security to escort you out?” 

“While I appreciate you wanting to help my dad and our company in general, nobody will benefit when you drop dead in your office. It pains me to say this, but we need you. And we need you to be… healthy, I guess.”

“My health is none of your concern.” 

August scoffed as she lowered her head and bent over her paperwork again, deliberately ignoring the man who _still_ wasn’t getting ready to leave. With an annoyed huff, she began, “I swear to-”

“Have you talked to Emma, lately?” August casually said and Regina's breath choked. Her heart skipped a beat, then it squeezed painfully. Goosebumps rose over her entire body, causing shivers to run down her spine and her hand froze above her paperwork. It took all but two seconds before her system rebooted again, and her head snapped up, finding August rocking on the balls of his feet with his arms folded. 

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Why did he ask? Had _he_ talked to her? What did he know? Oh God, had he made a move on her? It was as if a lid had been screwed off and her mind was spinning in overdrive. She squeezed her hands into fists, dug her nails in the palms of her hand to prevent them from shaking, and desperately tried to get herself under control again. 

She failed miserably.

“That is _none_ of your fucking business,” she snarled, and to her horror, she sounded like a wounded animal, driven in a corner. 

August simply tilted his head. He pulled up the corner of his mouth. Her breath accelerated and her heart pounded in her head - so hard it made black spots appear in the corner of her vision as she forced out the next question because she _needed_ to know. “Have you?” Because if there was anything she was good at, was intensifying her own emotional pain tenfold.

“No,” he said and the relief washing over Regina felt like a cold shower. A shiver ran over her spine, all the way down and then up again. “But,” he continued, “I ran into Victor Whale last week ago in LA, drowning his sorrow. Had some fading bruises on his face. Told me you broke his nose over, and I quote, ‘that fucking hooker’. The more he drank, the more he revealed. Nice move, by the way. You hit him well.”

She clenched and unclenched her fist - the one with which she’d broken the man’s nose. Victor Whale. The gift that kept on giving. He’d threatened to expose Emma in one of his more pathetic phone calls, and Regina had shown him what kind of Evil Queen she could still be, by pulling some strings that made sure he’d never work for any major commercial companies again. But apparently, he’d still found a way. 

Regina suddenly felt exhausted, helpless, and frustrated, and ran a tired hand through her hair before rubbing her eyes. Then, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “What do you want, August?” she asked him.

“I’m returning to LA tomorrow. Come with me.”

“No. I can make all decisions and arrangements perfectly fine from here,” Regina immediately said. 

“This contract would be done far quicker if you’re actually sitting at the conference table with your own new attorney, who’s a more pleasant person than her predecessor, by the way, and us. But Marian constantly has to relay everything to you and it’s costing us valuable time. We’d have these reorganizations done within two weeks if you were there, too.”

Regina knew he had a point and she’d lie if she admitted she hadn’t thought about that, but the chance of running into Emma, even though LA was a city that inhabited millions of people, was too big - she wouldn’t be able to handle it. She wasn’t able to control herself physically or emotionally and realized August had just witnessed it. 

“Plus, you'll have the chance to talk to-”

“No,” she repeated in a tone that didn’t leave any room for further discussion. “Have a safe flight, tomorrow.” And then she turned to her files once more and she heard him sigh before he left. 

Regina never started that paperwork. 

Instead, after fifteen minutes of staring at the same paragraph without reading it, she impatiently turned around and looked out of the window. 

God, she loathed August. Hated that he knew about Emma. Felt protective of the blonde she hadn’t seen or spoken to in weeks, ever since she had stepped out of the penthouse. Regina had removed Emma’s number from her phone the moment she arrived home because she _knew_ that she’d call or text her in a weak moment and that would make everything even worse. Because with Emma, she was weak, and she knew it.

And then, an unsettling question entered her already upset mind. Would Victor have spilled his story to more people than just August? What did that mean for the job Mrs. Lucas had offered Emma? 

Regina tapped her pen against her hand. She had wanted to give Emma her best chance by leaving, but what if Victor had ruined it? She had to make sure Emma wasn’t affected by his actions - she _needed_ to know. Emma didn’t even need to know when she inquired after her, did she?  
  
Impulsively, she grabbed the phone and called the Lucas Beverly Regent. When the receptionist picked up, she told her to get Eugenia Lucas and the woman immediately complied.

“Miss Mills,” Mrs. Lucas started in a professional tone, but she quickly interfered.

“Is Emma still working for you?” She was startled at her own gruff tone.

There was a brief silence. “I cannot discuss staff and their whereabouts,” the woman then stiffly replied.

Regina sighed, squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Lucas. I just learned that my former attorney has been very talkative about her… former occupation. I wanted to make sure that she...” Regina’s voice faltered, and she made a helpless, waving gesture that Mrs. Lucas obviously couldn’t see. 

She straightened her back and made an impulsive decision, one that she was probably going to regret. “I’m headed for LA tomorrow. Is the penthouse available for a week?” she added, voice stronger, more like her old self.

“It is, Miss Mills,” Mrs. Lucas replied instantly, and Regina narrowed her eyes a little when she thought she heard a smile in it. “I’ll make sure the arrangements are in order. I am... assuming you’ll be arriving alone?”

“Yes,” Regina shortly answered, a little prickly. 

“Very well. We will see you tomorrow. Always happy to have you here.”

When Regina hung up, she leaned back in her chair, wondering the hell she had gotten herself into now.

~*~

The next day, Regina cursed herself for not buying a private jet. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford one, and it would’ve been the easy way out to avoid sitting next to a very smug-looking August. The temptation to slap that look off his face was overwhelming.

“So, what _did_ convince you to come with, eventually?” He had the audacity to wink at her. He had effectively derailed her by inquiring after Emma, and he knew it. God, she hated how weak she was.

“Can you keep your mouth shut for the remainder of our travel?” she snapped.

“Are you going to see Emma?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” She couldn’t even remember how many times she had told him all kinds of varieties of that one sentence.

“Well, I only saw her twice, but I think she’s a really nice girl.”

“Are you _sure_ you want to go down this route?” Regina eyed him with narrowed eyes. August raised his eyebrow, but the sudden icy crisp in the air made him shut up. Regina was seething inside. She narrowed her eyes at him, and if looks could kill, he’d have dropped dead on the floor. “Stay away from her.” 

“Don’t worry,” he said after a couple of seconds and her head snapped up, while she shot him an exasperated look. 

“About _what?”_

“I just think she’s a nice girl. I’m not going to steal her away from you.”

You better not, was what she had wanted to say, but instead, she swallowed hard. “She was never mine,” she said, horrified by her softer tone of voice, and turned her face abruptly away. She really didn’t understand why he kept bringing Emma up - was it simply to taunt her? - and she really needed him to stop.

“I think she was,” August said in a matter-of-fact tone, and she rolled her eyes before closing them, refusing to look up again. A headache started to manifest itself right behind her eyeballs. Great. She should’ve taken a later flight. Or buy that private jet. 

She stubbornly turned to her papers, tried to ignore both her headache and the man next to her, and stared at the financial reports without seeing anything, until the captain announced their landing. Thank God.

But her headache didn’t go away after they’d gotten off the plane. August had left to take a cab to the company’s office. Regina had arranged the hotel’s limo and Gus had been waiting for her. She was entirely grateful that he took her bags and she could just sink into the back seat of the car. God, she felt tired. Her head was throbbing painfully all over now. She was never _ever_ going to admit it out loud, but August was right - she needed to take better care of herself. She closed her eyes and promised herself that she was going to take a long shower and crawl into bed after and hopefully, sleep a dreamless sleep. One could only hope.

She woke up when the engine of the car turned off, and only then realized she had drifted off. Unfortunately, her headache was still present, and she sighed, dragged herself out of the limo after Gus had opened the door for her. She walked in, feeling all wrinkled and messy and even more exhausted than before, while making a beeline for the reception, wanting nothing more than to clean herself up. 

Eugenia Lucas smiled, then frowned and raised her eyebrows as her eyes wandered over Regina's disheveled looks. Regina glared back with narrowed eyes. She knew how she looked and didn’t need the hotel manager to confirm any of it. But Mrs. Lucas was a professional and didn't make any comments. “Miss Mills, always a pleasure. Your penthouse is ready for you,” she formally welcomed her and started to make the paperwork in order right away.

“Thank you,” Regina said primly. She collected the keycards and the papers in front of her. And then, because she really couldn’t help herself, she looked up. Hesitated to ask the question that burned on her lips, but she found Mrs. Lucas intently gazing back at her and before she could say anything, the older woman did. 

“There’s to be no fraternizing or intimacy between our staff and our guests, no matter how valued they are,” she gruffly said, stubbornly holding her gaze. “Hotel policy.” It felt like she was getting scolded. Despite her exhaustion, Regina straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. At least it meant that Emma was still employed here.

  
“Duly noted,” she stiffly replied, glaring back. 

Mrs. Lucas held her gaze, but something subtly changed in her eyes. “There is no policy, however, about who the staff sees off work hours outside the hotel,” she added smoothly, before raising an eyebrow.

Despite Regina’s headache, she furrowed her brow in surprise. Mrs. Lucas pulled up a corner of her mouth, staring at her over the rim of her glasses while Regina raised an eyebrow, not really knowing what to say to that. Regina scoffed. 

“Would you like dinner to be sent up?” Mrs. Lucas then said, and Regina blinked at the sudden change of subject.

“No, thank you,” she replied, tone dismissive. “I just want to take a shower and sleep. It’s been a long day.”

“Of course, Miss Mills. If there’s anything else I can do, please let me know.”

Regina smiled stiffly before she turned and headed for the elevators, thoughts spinning. Her suitcases were already brought up, benefits of being a regular guest renting the penthouse, so there was nothing for her to do but to go up, take that shower, and go to bed.

But as she stepped into the penthouse she felt a little overwhelmed with the familiar space. It was big and empty. Soulless. Everything was so recognizable and yet, so different. Cold and impersonal. Not the way it had been the last time she’d been here. She shook her head. “Stop being so melodramatic,” she snapped at herself and turned on her heels towards the shower. And as the hot water chiseled her back, she couldn’t help but wonder if she really had made the right decision. _I think she was,_ August had said. Regina’s. She scoffed.

August was a fool. She abruptly turned the shower off, wrapped herself in a thick bathrobe without toweling herself off first, and dropped on the bed. She sighed deeply, closed her eyes and in- and exhaled deeply. For the first time in weeks, sleep came to her quickly and blissfully dreamless.

~*~

Of course, it didn’t last. Halfway through the night, she woke up, traces of a dream concerning a blonde still lingering in her head. As she struggled to sit up, her gaze automatically went to her left, where Emma had slept during her stay, and scoffed as she found the bed empty. Of course it was. Idiot. With a groan, she buried her face in her hands, pressed her fingers against her temples, before she let herself fall on her side. Reaching for her phone, she saw it was the middle of the night, but because of her early bedtime, she’d had at least six hours of sleep. That would get her average up, at least. 

She closed her eyes, tried to force herself to sleep for a few more hours but couldn’t. “Fuck,” she cried out in frustration, face pressed in her pillow. It was no use. Impatiently, she pulled the robe’s belt tighter and got up abruptly, settled behind her desk, and started her workday at 2.30 in the morning.

At least, her nightly antics resulted in getting a lot of work done by the time breakfast arrived, and she was almost surprised to find herself hungry. She did skip dinner the day before, she remembered, and during her nightly whereabouts, she hadn’t really thought about food. During breakfast, she sent another couple of emails to Marian and Geppetto, which questions they could discuss later, and after, she went to change into her regular business suit. She felt like grey, today, as she had these past couple of weeks - suited her mood, she thought grimly - and found a white blouse to go with it. She tried to cover the bags under her eyes with some concealer, but she gave up quickly because it wasn’t going to help anyway, and grabbed her bag before she headed out. 

And while she made her way through the lobby, she couldn’t help scanning the area to see if she saw a glimpse of blonde hair. She felt strangely disappointed and dejected when she didn’t. Oh, you weak moron, she scolded herself. Briefly, she wondered if it wouldn’t be better if she booked a penthouse in another hotel, but because she couldn't stop torturing herself, she threw that idea out immediately. 

During the day, she reluctantly had to admit that August had been right. It was incredibly more productive to have all key players gathered in one conference room, and because of all the nightly work she had put into it, they had made great progress. And despite herself, she found that she really liked working with Marian in the flesh, instead of through phone or video call. She was happy to find out that the feeling was mutual. She realized that over the past few weeks, a tentative long-distance friendship had evolved between them, and it was startling how easy it was to simply continue that. She was still adjusting to it all. Hell, they even had lunch together without having a meeting. Regina couldn’t remember the last time she’d had lunch with someone without having to discuss business.

Or well, maybe she could. But she pushed that annoying little voice away.

The following evening and night basically followed the same pattern. She slept in early, woke in the middle of the night - it wasn’t a nightmare this time, but with a body not accustomed to much sleep anymore, she just woke up - and worked till a little after breakfast, before going to the office. Every time while she crossed the lobby, she would crane her neck to spot a familiar face, but other than Mrs. Lucas’ sharp eyes, she didn’t see the one she was involuntarily looking for. All she wanted was to see if Emma was all right, she told herself. The fact that she still hadn't unnerved her.

The morning meeting went well and as she called the end of it, Marian cleared her throat and pushed her briefcase on the table. 

“Okay so, don’t get me wrong,” Marian said with a mild frown, “I’m super happy with the progress. But please tell me it’s a jetlag thing, sending me emails at 3 AM?”

“I noticed that, as well,” Geppetto said, tilting his head, eyeing Regina questioningly. “Regina, are you alright? You look like a ghost.” Regina’s face instantly fell into a frown and the corners of her mouth dropped. 

“I don’t see how that’s of any of your concern,” she stiffly said, firmly closing her briefcase. The click sounded final, but Geppetto wouldn’t let it go.

“Miss Mills,” Geppetto said, “We care about you.”

“Oh please,” Regina snapped defensively, not in the mood, “You’ve worked with me for, what, a few weeks? You don’t know me. The fact that I’m going to save your company does not give you the right to meddle in my life. When I say I’m fine, I’m fine. Stay out of it.”

Geppetto frowned, but stayed quiet, a mild irritation shining in his eyes. 

August had been unusually quiet and for some reason, that riled her up even more. Especially when he just looked at her smugly, raised an eyebrow, and had this ‘I-told-you-so’ look in his eyes. But of course, the insipid moron couldn’t keep his trap shut when she looked at him.

“If it were up to me,” he started, but she growled.  
  
“It’s not up to you,” she interrupted him with a glare.

“But if it was, I’d call her.”  
  
“Who?” Marian said, confused, her face tilting between the two as if she was watching a tennis match. Regina snorted impatiently.

“August, I swear to God-”

“Ah, Emma. Such a sweet girl,” Geppetto sighed. “She was good for you.”

Regina felt pushed in a corner. 

“Who’s Emma?” Marian asked, suddenly very interested. 

"Someone Regina really liked, but she’s a stubborn donkey, so she let her go,” August replied immediately, completely ignoring Regina’s outraged gasp. Marian was intrigued, now, eyes trailing back to Regina. “Did she like you back?”

“Oh, she did,” August answered her, only feeding Regina’s building anger. He had no right-

“That’s nice,” Marian wistfully sighed. 

“ _Enough!_ Will you all just please _stop,”_ Regina exploded, a redness creeping up from her neck to her face, eyes ablaze.

The room fell silent as her words echoed against the walls, and all eyes were now focused on her. Her stomach hurt, her chest squeezed forcefully, and goddamn it, her headache had returned in full. “Emma is gone, she’s _not_ coming back, and if you won’t end this conversation right now I’m getting on the next plane back to New York, and your company can go to hell!” she burst out, chest heaving. Then, she grabbed her briefcase and stormed out of the conference room, leaving a stunned silence behind. 

~*~

It had taken a walk around the block for Regina to cool off, but she was still feeling unhinged when she returned. It had everything to do with knowing that Emma was somewhere in this city and automatically, she had looked for her. It was insane. LA inhabited millions of people, so the chances of them running into each other, especially in the business district were very, very slim. She dropped in her desk chair, buried her hands in her hair as she turned to face the window and gazed outside, but didn’t see anything. Coming here had been a mistake. Everything felt off and she was a wreck. 

They weren’t wrong. She wasn’t all right. Hadn’t been since she last left this godforsaken city.

She missed her. There, she admitted it. She missed Emma Swan. And it was ridiculous because they had only shared a couple of days of her long, miserable life together. Maybe that’s why, she thought. Her life had been dark. She had once compared Emma to a flickering flame in the darkness, and herself to a moth. She knew she was going to burn - and she _had_ burnt. She was covered in burn marks.

A soft knock on her door pulled her back to the present. She turned and saw Marian, a hint of hesitation in her posture. But the woman straightened her back and entered. “Here’s this meeting’s summary. I was wondering if we could go over the financial files later today.”

“Fine,” Regina said abruptly, taking the papers from Marian. “Just schedule the meeting whenever I have time.”

The woman turned to leave but lingered long enough for Regina to look up. Impatience built up inside her instantly. “Is there something else?”

“Hm. Nothing that wouldn’t send you back to New York, I guess,” Marian said with a small smile, and when Regina’s eyes met hers, she saw sympathy. Regina sighed, felt the familiar aggravation building up immediately, and closed her eyes. 

“I don’t want to talk about Emma.”

“Don’t combust on me again, but I think maybe you should.”

“You do realize that from all the people present in that meeting, you’re the only one you can actually fire?” Regina said exasperated, rubbing her temples. 

“I guess, but you won’t.” There was a smile in her voice as she added confidently, “Because you need me.”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Regina warned her, but the fight had left her voice. Marian turned and headed for the door, but instead of leaving, she closed it. And she returned. Regina rolled her eyes, pulled her face in a frown.  
  
“I’m sorry, but August filled me in a little.”  
  
Immediately, Regina tensed, but Marian continued with a wave of her hand. “Said you spent some time together last time you were here to take over Geppetto Constructions and then you both went your separate ways. He met her twice,” she said, “and he guesses that if it weren’t for her, Geppetto Constructions wouldn’t exist anymore because he believed she influenced you. And ever since you went to New York you’ve been a hot mess - my summary, not his - and crankier every day.”

Damn August.

“I really don't want-”

“Sounds like a broken heart to me.”

Everything inside Regina stilled. It wasn’t. It really wasn’t. Right? And she wanted to tell Marian that, but couldn’t force the words out of her throat.

“Did she break up with you? Or were you doing the breaking part?” Marian eyed her curiously, and Regina shook her head in disbelief at the audacity of all these people. Why couldn’t they just leave her alone? If this was a friendship thing, she was highly tempted to break it all off again.

“I can’t believe how everyone seems to feel entitled to the details of my personal affairs,” Regina said with a huff, but all she felt was tiredness. She sighed, rubbed her eyes. “It was a mutual decision,” she then admitted with a sigh. 

“Why?” Marian immediately asked.

  
Regina groaned. “Marian, this is not some… some romantic love story. I can’t give Emma what she wants. I left so she had a chance to find someone who could.”

Marian narrowed her eyes. “Then what does she want?”

“She wants a knight who’d come and save her.” She smiled watery at the memory of the story. “She wants a fairy tale. A happy ending.”

“And you’re unable to give her that, why?” Marian asked instantly

Annoyed now, Regina looked up. “I’m not a good person, Marian,” she said, impatient now. “One different business decision doesn’t undo the decisions I made in the past. They don’t call me Evil Queen for nothing. I’m incapable of loving anyone. And I wanted to give her her best chance of finding someone who could by leaving. Honestly, if I had known in advance that-”

“Then change the fairy tale,” Marian interrupted her rant. “Because really, Regina, I’ve worked for you for what - four weeks? I’ve seen you behind the screen but that doesn’t do right to the bags under your eyes and the state of your skin. If Emma’s the reason you’re looking like this, then you’re definitely capable of love.”

Regina’s head jerked up, but Marian wasn’t done. “You’re a stubborn woman, Regina,” she fondly started. I’ve seen your stubborn determination in work, in wanting to save this company and honestly, Geppetto was in such deep shit that only that determination could have saved it. When we started this project, I have to admit, I didn’t believe that you could, but now, I can see it happening. And it’s all because of your dedication. And the woman I’ve gotten to know over the past few weeks isn’t anywhere _near_ an Evil Queen, so maybe you should drop that act and, I don’t know, get another one. Because you're a freakin’ hero for saving Geppetto’s ass.”

Regina scoffed. Marian’s eyes flickered. “Your determination is admirable, but it’s another thing to put that determination into your love life because apparently, that makes you blind for what’s right in front of you. But go ahead, keep telling yourself that you’re still the soulless and cold-hearted Evil Queen, who, in all honesty, I haven’t even met yet.”

Regina eyed her warily but for once, didn’t say anything. Marian raised her chin in defiance. “Fire me all you want. But I’m very good at reading people. Tell me that I’m wrong,” she demanded.

She couldn’t but kept Marian’s gaze until her attorney’s lips curved into a smile. “I thought so. Now, tell me, what are you going to do about this wonderful mess you’ve made?”

“Think?” Regina sighed, still blinking as she was processing Marian’s rant. Marian rolled her eyes, and it flared Regina’s annoyance. “It’s not that easy,” she snapped. “I’m not that easy.”

“Well, maybe you should start with going a little easier on yourself.” Marian turned and headed for the door. "And maybe, think about why you really came to do here."

Regina was quiet for a few seconds, a frown creasing her forehead. "I wanted to see if she was okay."

"How selfless of you." Marian's eyes crinkled and Regina couldn't tell whether she was mocking her or being genuine. When she left, Regina shook her head. Anticipation coursed through her veins. And for the first time, there was anxiety, too. 

Regina Mills was never scared. 

Right?

~*~

As the day progressed, she sat through the meetings, did most of what she had planned to do that day and fortunately, neither Marian or August brought it up again. She left around 6, weariness settling in her bones. Marian had been right, her stubbornness was getting this company back on its feet, one way or another. It was a slow and painful process, and it would be worse in the near future because they were going to have to let some people go after the reorganizations, but they were getting there. 

“Miss Mills,” she heard behind her right after she’d stepped outside of her office, and when she looked up, she saw Geppetto approach her..

“Whatever you want to say, August and Marian probably already have.”

“I doubt it,” he chuckled, and she rolled her eyes in exasperation, but waved for him to say what he had to say. “I wanted to apologize for… meddling. And I wanted to let you know that I do care about you.”

His words pulled on her heartstrings - the apology was genuine. As, apparently, was his care, which she wasn’t used to. People never cared. They just wanted something from you. “That’s convenient, since I’m trying to save your company,” Regina said with a huff, automatically straightening her face. But Geppetto smiled. 

“You’re good people, Regina,” he said fondly, “and no, I am not just saying that because you’re saving my company.” And as much as she wanted to counter it with a dismissive snipe, when she met his eyes with a frown she could see the sincerity in his gaze. It made her throat thick and she tried to swallow it away, suddenly feeling a little flustered.

“Thank you,” she said, voice a little hoarse. Geppetto smiled. 

“You’re still young, Regina. Don’t waste your life by staying alone. There’s far too much to enjoy with someone at your side.”

Regina shook her head in disbelief and scoffed. “Et tu, Brutus?” she murmured, but he simply squeezed her arm. “I knew it.”

“You’re going to have to get used to having friends in your life,” he said with a chuckle. “And friends tell you the truth. Not what you want to hear.”

She sighed. “If I’d known that saving your company would’ve had such an impact, I might not have done it,” she told him gruffly, but they both knew it wasn’t true and he shook his head.

“I’m guessing you’d have done it sooner,” he replied fondly, before squeezing her shoulder and leaving her on her own. She shook her head, let out an impatient huff, and headed for the exit while she silently had to admit that hell, he might be right.

 _Are these people you call friends?_ Emma had asked at the polo game. _Yes_ , she had replied, _I spend time with them_. Regina Mills didn’t have real friends.

Except now, she frowned, maybe she did. And she wasn’t entirely sure yet what she thought of that.

The limo brought her back to the hotel, and after getting her messages she went straight up to the penthouse, which still wasn’t all that appealing. She wandered restlessly through it. Opting in and out of a bath, she took a quick shower instead because the bath held too many memories. She snorted. As if not everything here did. She was just going to have to suffer through it.

Wrapped in a bathrobe and a towel on her head, she sipped her coffee and found herself staring out over the city from the threshold of the balcony. She remembered how anxious she had felt when Emma had sat on the banister. It was easy to picture her on it. And despite her body physically trying to stop her, she took a tentative step outside to that particular spot. Stood on her toes, tried to look down. God, she was physically unable to, it made her feel nauseous, and she quickly took a step back, to the safety of the penthouse.

But she stubbornly tried again, tried to conquer the panic as she stared out over the skyline, narrowed her eyes until she saw a shimmer in the distance. And she chuckled in surprise. _I bet you can see all the way to the ocean from out here,_ Emma had said on her first night here. She had been right - you _could,_ and her first impulse was to turn and tell her that she had been right before she remembered that she couldn’t because Emma, of course, wasn’t here.

Regina’s heart dropped. A tight hand seemed to wrap around her chest and squeezed tightly. It felt like she was suffocating as Marian’s words flashed through her mind. _Sounds like a broken heart to me._

A sob escaped her throat. Goddamnit. Maybe, just _maybe_ Marian was right. But Regina was so fucking closed off that it would never be enough.

But the memory of Emma’s bright eyes didn’t leave her alone. Her smiles, her quired eyebrows, her lopsided grins. Her touches. Fingertips brushing over her arms, her cheeks. Goosebumps erupted over Regina’s entire body - even now as she simply thought about it, despite the warmth of the LA afternoon. Emma’s mind. Her wit. Her bluntness, the way she spoke her mind, the way she could wonder about new things, and her ability to charm everyone around her. 

And her warmth. Her care. Her worrying over Regina.

Nobody had ever worried over her the way Emma had.

All of Emma made her heart swell and press against her ribcage. Made her head pound, made her blood rush through her veins. Made her warm on the inside. The anticipation fluttering in her stomach made her a little nauseous and dizzy. Regina sighed shakily as she stared at the shimmering ocean in the distance. 

All right, so maybe she wasn’t exactly incapable of love, she admitted, exhaling a shuddering breath. Maybe she just didn’t know how to love very well. All of it didn’t change the fact that it left her vulnerable, and she hated it. She hated this state of mind but was unable to pull out of it. So much for stubborn determination, she scoffed. Fact was that Emma Swan made her feel vulnerable, whether she was with her or not. 

She’d rather have Emma with her, then. 

_Change the fairy tale._

Regina groaned. 

She worried - no, she was terrified as she went back inside, called the reception and asked for Mrs. Lucas. Her hands were shaking a minute later when she ended the call and she closed her eyes. Then, she resolutely picked up the note on which she had scribbled down some information, grabbed her phone, and chose another number. 

“August, I need to borrow your horse tomorrow.”

~*~

“I think we’re all set with the boxes,” Emma said. She looked around, hands firmly planted in her sides, inspecting the room. “I don’t have a lot, so it’ll probably take us one drive. Maybe two.”

A woman with dark brown hair, red extensions weaved into it, came up next to her, leaned her elbow on Emma’s shoulder. “Good,” she smirked. “Let’s get your stuff to the apartment then, shall we?”

Emma nodded and she smiled gratefully. She finally had the feeling that she was moving forward. So much had happened these past few weeks.

Four weeks ago, she’d been a complete mess. After a few days of spilling all the tears she possibly could until none of them were left, she’d started working in Eugenia’s hotel, and the first few days had been okay. Eugenia hadn’t lied - it was hard work and she really hadn’t gone easy on her. It was fine because it meant less thinking and more doing and that made part of her day… doable, she guessed. Each night when she got home, bone-tired, she’d just fallen on her bed, closed her eyes, and didn’t wake until the alarm went off.

With no more tears to spill and being tired enough to shut down her brain, she felt numb. She was going through the motions, and the dullness was fine - at least the rough edges of her grief were gone. 

Until one night, when shots were fired at night right outside her window, and one of the parties managed to run inside her building. It had been scary as hell but fuck, she wasn’t going to let anyone enter her apartment. So she’d barricaded both her door and window and had sat in the middle of her room with a baseball bat until the police had arrived. After that, she’d been too riled up to fall asleep so she left to take her usual bus. The bus’ rocking motions had lulled her to sleep which of course made her miss her stop and she was late by almost an hour.

Eugenia had been disappointed with her late arrival. “Care to explain?” she’d asked gruffly, arms folded in front of her chest, glaring at her disapprovingly. Emma had shrugged unwillingly, not really in the mood to talk about the shitty neighborhood she lived in, and had been directed to the office once more, placed in the chair she’d sat in before for another one of Granny’s infamous interrogations. “I’m giving you a chance, Emma. But if this isn’t what you want, then let’s be honest with each other and-”

“It’s not that,” she said, shifting on her chair and momentarily, Eugina’s harsh appearance had softened somewhat.

“Listen, I know break-ups are hard and yours-”  
  
“It’s got nothing to do with that, either,” Emma had vehemently cut in, and then, she’d told her the entire story, from waking up to being determined to not let anyone enter into the apartment and leaving at the regular time for work. “I just couldn’t stay awake and fell asleep on the bus.” 

Eugenia had narrowed her eyes and grabbed her phone. “How attached are you to your current apartment?”

Emma shrugged. “Not much. It’s a place to stay,” she said, as Eugenia picked a number.

“My granddaughter runs a diner,” she gruffly informed the blonde, “The building has two small apartments, one of which she lives in and the other one becomes vacant soon. It’s not large, but it’ll be - Ruby! Yes, it’s me. Are you still looking for a renter for the apartment next door?”

As it happened, Ruby was the owner of _the_ Ruby’s where Emma loved to go for the best grilled cheese in town - the diner she’d taken Regina to, once. The memory tugged on her heart, but Ruby’s chatter had quickly distracted her. She had instantly liked the brunette.  
  
Ruby showed her the apartment and Emma managed to convince Ruby to make her a grilled-cheese sandwich through unabashed flattery and had signed the contract within the hour. It would be another two weeks or so before the previous renter would leave, but at least it gave Emma some perspective. 

Also, the lanky brunette had made it her mission to keep Emma fed and away from sulking too much, and even though Emma was hesitant to share the entire history, she did mention one evening that if it hadn’t been for Regina, she’d still be working the streets. She wasn’t embarrassed about her past, but she didn’t want people to down talk Regina, either. She _was_ grateful. And still very, very much not over her. 

She’d spent some nights on Ruby’s couch until it was time to move, and of course, Ruby had immediately offered her help and her car. It still felt strange to have people in her corner, rooting for her, Emma mused, as her eyes traveled over the worn-down interior of her old room. People who helped you because they simply wanted to, not because they wanted something in return. “I can’t thank you enough, Ruby,” she said and turned to hug her. 

Ruby grinned, returning the hug, and then she pulled away. “Hey, no problem. I’ll take the first box down, yeah? I’ll see you downstairs.” She punched Emma’s shoulder and Emma winced. The brunette winked, grabbed one of the boxes, and disappeared from view. 

Emma sighed deeply. She was happy that she’d be leaving this dump. It had been Cloe’s room before, and she’d generously offered to share it but it had been super small for two people. After Cloe had died, Emma had nowhere else to go so she’d stayed - it wasn’t if she had any other options anyway. 

But she had, now. New job, new friend, new home. All new. Maybe it was a good thing since the old stuff constantly reminded her of a certain brunette. Even the hotel did. Maybe, in time, she’d need to move on to another job, as well. Hell, who knew, maybe Ruby could hire her, she smiled. But, first things first - these boxes weren’t going to carry themselves to her new place.

Her new apartment was small, but at least it had 2 small bedrooms, it was well-kept and fortunately, furnitured. She didn’t have anything, furniture-wise, and it was nice to have a bed to sleep in. It probably wouldn’t be as great as the bed in the penthouse, she mused, but at least it’d be better than this bumpy old thing.

The thought of the penthouse stuck. When Eugenia had called her yesterday morning to inform her that Regina would stay for another week at the penthouse, Emma was shocked. Happy. Terrified. And then she panicked. Was she going to call? Did she know Emma worked at the hotel now? Maybe Emma needed to call her first? 

She’d had her heart pounding in her throat for the entire day, but nothing happened. Her phone stayed silent. And as gut-wrenching as it was, Emma realized that Regina wasn’t coming back for her. Because she couldn’t give Emma what she really wanted.

Fucking fairy tales.

She’d stared at her phone for almost ten minutes, fingers hovering over Regina’s name several times. And in the end, she moved the contact to the bin, resolutely cutting off all ties between them. She wondered if Regina had done the same. 

Probably. And it’d be fair enough. Regina had respected Emma’s wishes, had been honest about not being able to give it her all, and in turn, Emma had to respect that. 

She’d meant what she had told Ruby. She was very grateful. If Regina hadn’t picked her up, hadn’t spent the week with her, she would have never gotten to know Eugenia Lucas and her daughter Ruby. She would never move out of this shitty little apartment. And she would never have thought any more of herself than a street whore, while right now, she was even thinking of maybe getting her GED. Going back to school was scary shit, but she thought she could do it. She used to get pretty okay grades before she bailed her final foster family.

Regina had thought she could do so much more, and maybe she was right. She just… well. Had to believe in it, the way Regina had.

Her heart got stuck in her throat. Regina had said that she wasn’t a knight, but in the end, she had been. If Regina hadn’t been so stuck into the idea that she was unworthy herself, that she wasn’t likable, would that have changed anything?  
  
Maybe, next to the gratefulness and the numbness, there was also a spark of anger against the frustratingly stubborn woman. 

With a sigh, she turned and grabbed a box, until an unfamiliar sound outside grabbed her attention. And with it, somebody called out for her.

“Miss Swan!”

Emma blinked. Frowned. Someone called her, but it definitely wasn’t Ruby and in the area, nobody else but her landlord knew her full name. She dropped the box, heart rate picking up in anticipation as she stepped towards the opened window, leaned outside.

Her eyes widened. No way. No fucking way. She gasped.

Emma had to blink several times as she finally registered the strange sound as the clattering of hooves on the asphalt. Ruby, still holding the box, stood frozen on the pavement next to her car, stunned into silence as well, as a brown horse made its way to the worn-down apartment building. People were leaning outside their windows, stopping in the streets to see what was going on. Filming with their cellphones - it wasn’t often that a woman on a horse roamed their streets.

Emma knew that horse. She knew who was _on_ that horse but as a disbelieving snort escaped her, her brain had a hard time catching up with her. 

Regina was maneuvering August’s horse through her street and bellowed her name so loud that it echoed against the buildings. “Yes! Yeah, jeez, up here!” she cried out, a stupid smile on her face. Regina looked up, a frown at her face as their eyes met and it sent a pleasant shiver of anticipation over Emma’s back. What the hell was she doing? And why was she on a horse?

Oh. Wait. It started to dawn on her when she maneuvered the horse next to the ladder of the fire escape and managed to pull it down. She gestured to Ruby, who immediately dropped the box and took the horse’s reins. 

Regina looked upstairs, a little worried. “Had to be on the top floor, right?”

Emma smiled, blinked rapidly to keep her vision from blurring. “It’s the best,” she called back. 

“All right. I’m coming up.”  
  
And Regina grabbed the lowest sports of the ladder, pulled it down, and hoisted herself up. Regina Mills with her fear of heights, climbed up her fire escape and a giddy laugh escaped Emma’s mouth at the absurd view, but it was immediately accompanied by a sob. 

Clumsily, she pushed the window further open and climbed on the fire escape, too, making her way to the stairs which Regina was climbing. When Regina had made it to the second floor, she shuffled towards the next stairs, back firmly pressed against the wall, throwing anxious glances down to the horse. The warmth rushing through Emma’s veins, settling in her chest, was nearly overwhelming. 

God, Emma loved her. She stumbled down the stairs from her own fourth floor to the third, and she rushed to the stairs leading down as Regina had made it to the stairs up to the third floor. 

Regina looked up. Emma looked down on her and couldn’t stop smiling, her gaze blurry, as she descended the stairs. Regina held on tightly to the stairs and Emma grabbed her upper arms.

“Tell me, Emma, do you think we can give this fairy tale of yours a twist?” Regina smirked at her. Emma’s eyes wandered over her face as she drank in Regina’s appearance. She looked exhausted, and at the same time, she was the most beautiful version of herself that she had ever been. 

“Depends on what you want to change,” she murmured.

“Do you think the Evil Queen can rescue the princess, instead?” There was a spark of worry in those dark brown eyes, and Emma’s hand slid up Regina’s arm to cup her face, fingertips brushing the hair in her neck. 

“I think she already has,” Emma whispered, blinking the tears away as her fingers slid further into the dark hair, her thumbs softly caressing Regina’s cheeks. Regina's eyes crinkled as she brought her face closer to Emma’s.

Emma’s breath hitched as she felt Regina’s warm breath on her mouth and she wetted her lips with her tongue in anticipation, heart pounding rapidly, overflowing with the love she felt for this stubborn idiot.

“So, what happens after she climbs up to the tower and rescues her?” Regina softly asked, eyes trailing over Emma’s face. Emma smiled.

“She rescues him right back,” she replied, smiling through her blurred vision, and then, she pulled Regina close, pressed her lips against hers and it was soft and messy and maybe even a little sloppy and it felt as if she was coming _home_. Her blood sang, her heart pounded, drove the heartbreak and cold away in a millisecond as Regina’s soft lips moved over hers and her body warmed her own.

They broke apart when they heard whooping sounds and people clapping and Emma choked out a laugh and a sob. “I can’t believe you did that,” she said, red-rimmed eyes wandering over Regina’s face. 

“Neither did I,” Regina replied, stroking Emma’s cheek gently with her knuckles. 

“Is it real?” Emma whispered, feeling alive. Regina leaned in again, captured Emma’s lips and the warmth and softness of the kiss nearly made Emma cry. She pulled her close, reveling in the warmth of Regina’s closeness, her hands fluttering over Regina’s shoulders and back as if she was afraid that she’d go away. 

“As real as you want it to be,” Regina replied against her lips. She smiled, nuzzled her nose, and pushed a blonde lock behind Emma’s hair. “You know, I-”

“Um, guys?” 

They looked at each other, drawn from their bubble, and simultaneously looked down at Ruby, who was grinning widely, and who was still holding the horse. 

“If you wanna make out on the fire escape, fine, no problem, but what do you want me to do with him?” She lifted the reins, waved at the horse.

“The better question is,” Emma said, loosening her hold on Regina a little bit and feeling a giddy laugh bubbling up inside, “Is how the hell we’re getting you off the fire escape?”

Regina chuckled nervously. “I honestly don’t know. I was running on adrenaline getting up here.”

“Hold up, I got this,” she said, and she slipped out of Regina’s hold, pounded against the window of the first floor’s apartment. An aggravated girl opened the window, and after some name-calling, she reluctantly let them in. It wasn’t long before Regina had solid ground under her feet again and sighed in relief, and she took over the reins from Ruby.

“We’re still gonna move your stuff, right?” Ruby quirked an eyebrow at Emma. 

Emma nodded. “Yeah, we are. Regina, this is Ruby. Ruby, Regina.”  
  
Ruby smirked. “Figured as much. You take care of her now,” she told Regina sternly.

“I will,” Regina said, more serious than Ruby had ever meant it. Emma was only able to grin dopily at the exchange.

“Good.” Ruby seemed satisfied. “Now, I’m gonna get the next box. You better get your ass back up there and get another one, Swan,” she added before she disappeared back inside. 

Emma sighed and turned back to Regina, who was stroking the horse’s nose. She shook her head in disbelief. “God, I love you,” she said. The hitch in Regina’s breath didn’t escape her. 

“I still have trouble believing that someone actually could,” Regina confessed, a little uneasy. Anxiety flickered in her eyes. “And it’s probably going to be hard for you because I’m not an easy woman to be with, and-” 

Emma yanked her close and shut her up with a kiss. “Shut up,” she murmured against her lips. “We’ll figure it out.” Regina eased into the embrace until the horse snorted impatiently and Emma pulled back.

“I love you, too,” Regina said, and those words made Emma’s heart flutter. She sighed and hummed contentedly, lifted Regina’s hand, and placed a kiss in her palm, and pressed it against her cheek. Regina’s hands were soft, thumb stroking along Emma’s jaw as she sighed.

Her fairy tale might be a rocky road, she mused as Regina slipped an arm around her waist, but, she realized as she pushed her nose in Regina’s neck, nuzzling her softly, she wouldn’t want it to be any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N So, This concludes the original story, but I promised you an epilogue. Only, I'm drawing a blank! Hit me up with ideas and I'll see if I can work with a couple of them :) 
> 
> Thank you so much for following this story and for all the love you gave it - it meant the world to me! It was quite the journey but I loved every second of it <3

**Author's Note:**

> Want to hang out and chat? Follow me at Twitter: @queststar :)


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